


Scott Lang: Relationship Counselor Extraordinaire

by barelycoherent



Category: Ant-Man (Movies), Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Humor, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Civil War Fix-It, Communication issues galore, Eventual Stony, F/M, M/M, Mission: stop the civil war, Mutual Pining, Pepper for president, Sam Wilson is So Done, Sam and Natasha will probably have to help him out, Sam is too, Scott is a good Dad, Scott is getting a little tired of being dragged into these messes, Scott is just trying his best, Some chapters edited after seeing Ant-Man and the Wasp, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-29
Updated: 2018-05-14
Packaged: 2018-08-11 18:20:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 33,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7902937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/barelycoherent/pseuds/barelycoherent
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>To say that Tony and Steve were operating under a few misconceptions about each other was an understatement. Their frustration combined with their crushing mutual admiration for one another was confusing and exhausting enough to give anyone who had to deal with the two of them headaches.<br/>Why the task of getting the two to see eye to eye fell to him, Scott will never know. (He definitely blames Sam though. He's convinced it's revenge.)</p><p>A fic where Sam decides to introduce Scott to the Avengers before the Lagos incident, and prevents a Civil War in the process.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sam Makes the Call

Sam really didn’t mean to see it. Despite what some might claim, (Natasha, which is really rich coming from a spy) Sam is not a deliberately nosy person. He’s just perceptive and has a talent for reading others. It’s what makes him a good soldier and also what made him a good counselor. Not to mention that Sam is a patient person, which came in handy when working with people who had traumas as deep and painful as Steve or Natasha. People who lived with pain as long as this group were reluctant to give those stories up, but Sam could wait until they cracked, and then help them cope. 

Tony isn’t a person who lets people see him crack. It’s even rare for Tony to show any vulnerabilities around a group he cares about as obviously as he cares about the Avengers. The fact that he’s so good at dissembling and acting, despite the years and even decades of traumas Sam knows he’s faced, bothers him. Sam muses to himself sometimes that it must be like when a mind-reader meets one of the first people his powers don’t work on. It puts you on edge, makes you nervous. Clint? Hard to read but trustworthy enough that it’s not alarming. Bruce? Not hard to read at all. Steve? Not easy to read and generally quieter about his grief, but once you get past his initial defenses, he'll be open with you. Wanda? Easy. She’s still so young it would be weird if she was more deceptive. Vision? He wasn’t trained to deal with whatever entity Vision is. Rhodey? Average difficulty, good soul. Thor? Well, Sam wasn’t sure if he’s met enough Asgardians to be able to say how easy to read the guy was. Natasha? When he first met the warrior, before he got to know Tony, Sam would’ve said she was the hardest to read. But she’s so clearly trying to change and to learn to open up that Sam will let the fact she still keeps some stuff secret go. Everyone needs secrets, and he sees her revealing as much as she does to them as the sign of trust that it is.

But Tony? He’s confusing as all get-out for Sam.

He’ll deflect, dissemble, baffle, or amuse with ease. He’s charismatic and witty and is sometimes the only person on the team who can deal with the press, even on his worst days and despite his obvious distaste for the media. (Sam doesn’t really think him being able to see that aspect to the guy proves he can read him, everyone knows Tony and the media have a rocky relationship, and Tony’s announced it to the group at large in many colorful and admittedly hilarious ways.) And just when Sam has resigned himself to only seeing the mask Tony uses as skillfully as his suit of armor, Tony will slip and show the Avengers some bit of vulnerability. He’ll stumble into the communal kitchen in the morning, despite the fact he has a private one, after a three day long session in his workshop, and clutch the coffee mug someone hands him like it’s the only thing that can keep him going. He’ll absently rub at the spot his reactor used to be in the dark during movie night. He’ll look at Pepper like she’s his lodestar, the only thing that he knows will lead him home. He’ll go to talk to Jarvis then falter when he remembers the A.I. is gone. Moments like those are when Sam will find himself lost again on what to think of Tony Stark.

  
So when he happened upon Tony in the living room, he wasn’t planning on snooping. He was just going to propose a new idea for Redwing (Sam was sick of Tasha gleefully shocking Redwing out of the sky during practice fights, and wanted to see if he could get some electricity of his own. Maybe Tony could install EMP pulses, or give Redwing shocks like Black Widow uses!) when he saw Tony bent over one of those holographic tablets he was so fond of. Sam guessed he wasn’t working in the workshop because he had come up for food or caffeine and gotten distracted. The billionaire was muttering under his breath so he didn’t hear the fellow flier’s approach, and Sam was able to catch what he was saying when he got in range to see what the genius was working on. He clearly hadn’t slept for a while, and his ramblings were the clear product of exhaustion, insomnia and a total lack of awareness for his surroundings.

  
Sam’s eyes widened at the videos playing on the holograph. He was watching footage from the fight with Ultron.

  
“Friday, focus in on Tasha there, yeah, I was right, she still needs greater mobility in that terrain, make a note in her file and remind me later to talk to her about new gear she might want. Skip to sector 4 of the fight and find Clint when- yeah, thanks Friday, when he uses his last explosive arrow. Goddamn, I know he likes the bow but I wish he could use a weapon that didn’t have such limited ammunition. You have the fabrication units running in the basement with that new bow design, right? The one that he can switch into a melee weapon? I still don’t know what we can call it.”

  
“Yes sir, it’s being made despite Clint’s numerous protests that he is quote, “retired”.”

  
“Friday, the fact he keeps responding to my emails and sending me ideas of his own is proof he can never turn down new bow modifications, retired or not. Let’s see… Steve’s armor did okay in the fight in Sokovia, but it can be better. Bring up the specs for the new compound I was working on last night.”

  
“It was actually three nights ago, sir.”

  
“Whatever, Friday. Damn, how’d you get to be sassier than Jarvis?”

  
“Certainly not because we learned the trait from our shared creator. Also, Mr. Stark, Ms. Potts just sent a reminder that the board wants the new specs on the next generation Starkphone and laptops on Thursday.”

  
Tony let out a muttered curse, and rubbed his eyes, weary. “And it’s Tuesday today. Yeah, tell her I’ll get to it tonight. I need to work on the new compound right now.” His voice gained strength as he focused back in on the data lighting up around him.

  
Sam shook his head in awe. He knew for a fact that Steve had loved the new armor, despite his disappointment at having to use it so soon, and Sam had seen that thing take massive damage in training sessions. Yet Steve would always walk away with nary a scratch. Tony must’ve spent, hours, no, days, even weeks poring over the disaster in Sokovia, from the familiar way he flipped from moment to moment in the fight. Sam was about to leave, guilty about adding more to Tony’s workload, (and quietly plotting a way to make sure Tony got to sleep tonight. Sam suddenly felt a responsibility to watch out for the older man, and Natasha could probably let Pepper know just how wiped Tony really was.) when he froze in place. Tony had pulled up the footage of Pietro, saving Clint and the kid. Sam tore his gaze from the hologram to watch Tony where he slumped on the couch. His sigh seemed to echo in the quiet room.

  
“Damn. Just… Damn. Friday, that new compound, fabricate some so I can start stress testing it to withstand bullets of that caliber and velocity.”

Tony rubbed at his eyes again, and when he next spoke he sounded old beyond his years. “I’m never going to stop getting people killed, huh.” It wasn’t a question, and Friday seemed to know it. She was quiet. Sam wasn’t even sure Tony meant to say it out loud.

  
He shook his head. “I could use another scientist around to help.” He then snorted. “Or some Vibranium, but that’s not going to happen if the Wakandans keep acting like fucking Tolkein dwarves-“

  
He cut himself off. Sam held his breath, frozen and terrified of breaking the fragile quiet in the room. He knew that Tony would be mortified if he saw Sam there.

“Play the footage back again, Friday. Bring those old calculations I started on a possible synthetic Vibranium compound and work them.”  
  
“Yes sir.” The AI was quiet and Sam began his retreat from the room, hastened by the sight of Tony’s spine curved in defeat. It wasn’t something Tony wanted others to see, and Sam was beginning to think he knew why. He just didn’t understand why Tony was still so afraid to show people how deeply he felt things.

As he slunk out of the room, he faintly heard “Just not enough of us…” and knew what he had to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So while this isn't the first Stony fic I've worked on, it's the first I've felt ready to start posting. I wasn't planning on writing anything for this yet, but I just re-watched Civil War and had a lot of feelings about how easily it all could have been avoided, and needed to get it out on paper.  
> Basically, Scott is a treasure and Sam needed back-up.  
> I'm about to start a new year of college, so I can't promise to be super quick about updates, but I'll try!  
> Thanks to dontcallmeking for beta'ing!


	2. Matchmaking Service Required

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott may be reluctant to join the team, but the Avengers always get their man, and it's best the Ant-Man learns that early.

Sam knocked on Steve’s door frame and the blonde absently waved him in from where he was sitting poring over some ancient, probably still highly classified reports. Sam wandered in, waiting by Steve’s desk for the man to finish what he was reading. Steve let out a disappointed sigh before closing the file and looking up with a half-hearted smile at Sam. “Hey, what can I do for you?”

Sam nodded at the closed files. “Any new leads on Barnes for us to follow?”

Steve’s smile twisted ruefully as he rearranged all the papers on his desk next to his computer. “Not really, just double-checking some stuff. I still think he’s in Europe, but that’s not much help, so.” Before Sam could say anything encouraging, Steve straightened himself up and once again regarded his friend. “What’s going on with you?”

Sam grinned and leaned forward conspiratorially. “What if I told you I knew a guy who would be an asset to our very special team?”

Steve leaned back and turned to regard him seriously, one eyebrow raised with undisguised interest. “I trust your judgment, but I’d still ask you for his qualifications and resume.”

“Oh, he’s qualified, alright,” Sam’s excitement was infectious and Steve found himself smiling despite himself.

“That good? How do you know? Actually, how’d you even meet this guy?”

“Hands-on experience, we had a friendly sparring session. Did you happen to see the footage from the Pym incident?” Sam neatly avoided saying how they met, which Steve luckily didn’t pick up on.

Steve’s eyes widened and he sat forward in his seat. “You know the person behind that whole mess?”

“Not the one responsible for causing the mess, but I do happen to know the one who was mainly responsible for fixing that disaster, and I have a way to contact him,” Sam held his phone up before Steve could ask how, and grinned.

Steve shook his head, amused and impressed. “And I’m guessing he’s the mysterious individual we want on our side?”

“You guess right, Steve,” Sam cheerfully informed him and leaned back on the desk. “But before I extended an invitation, I wanted to get your permission and hash some of the details out.”

The WWII vet drummed his fingers on the desk thoughtfully. “Well, we’d have to make sure the team is okay with a new member, first off. We all know you’d only invite someone that you approve of, so that’s probably not going to be an issue. Secondly, I do need to know his name and history, so cut it out with the vague hints.”

Sam shifted uneasily at that. “Well, there is something you need to know. He’s a convicted criminal. He’s out now, but he does have a record.”

“That might be a bit of a tough sell for PR, I guess,” Steve said musingly.

“No objections?” Sam asked cautiously.

“I once again remind you that I trust your judgement on these things, and seriously doubt you’d refer someone who should still be in prison. What’d he do to get put there?” Steve’s voice was calm, open and willing to hear the story behind the act before he made a judgment.

“He exposed some very morally sketchy accounts belonging to a shady company through less than clean means,” Sam said carefully.

Steve just gave him a look, and Sam correctly interpreted as a request for more context. “He hacked and stole VistaCorp accounts in order to return the funds to the rightful owners.”

Steve looked impressed. “This is the VistaCorp hacker you’re talking about?”

“You heard about it, then?” Sam inquired curiously.

“Yeah, and from what I can tell, he did what he did with good motives. Maybe less than stellar methods, but I respect why he did it. Sometimes what’s right isn’t what’s legal,” Steve firmly stated, and Sam couldn’t help his smile. The guy really did make you want to applaud and follow him into battle when he talked like that.

“So you wouldn’t object to inviting him despite the record?” Sam double-checked.

“I think I’ll object to you using his record as a reason not to let him join,” Steve said bemusedly. “Especially if he’s as impressive an individual as you seem to think he is.”

Sam chuckled. “He really is. Smart fighter, too. I made up a file for him that I sent to your inbox for you to look over.”

“Good,” Steve said, jokingly stern, before continuing. “If he ends up accepting the invitation, he’ll need to go through a sort of trial period with the team to make sure he can handle being an Avenger and won’t hurt the team dynamic in any way. That means I’ll have to put him through the paces and up against some of the others.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything different.”

“Also…” Here he paused. Sam waited patiently, pretty sure of what Steve was about to say. “You should make sure that Tony is aware we’d have a new member to fund and shelter here.”

“Yeah, I know. I was planning on talking to him after you gave me permission,” Sam agreed easily.

Steve frowned. “Should I go and ask him for you?”

Sam resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “I’m pretty sure I can explain it just as well as you.”

“I know you can, but Tony can be stubborn. Are you sure?” Sam knew he meant well, but damn if it wasn’t still a little annoying. The two have been weird around each other since Ultron, especially since Tony hasn’t been around as much.

“Cap, you don’t have some sort of monopoly on talking to Tony about important things like this. Or a monopoly on arguing with him. I really don’t think he’ll have a problem with it if you say it’s okay,” Sam said pointedly.

Steve flushed a bit. “I don’t think I have any monopoly on him, and I don’t think my opinion matters that much to him.”

Sam did not have the energy or the will to deal with that mess today, so he chose to disregard the statement and continue with what he came to deal with. “So I’ll let Tony know about the potential new member, while you look over his file. I’ll probably send him a copy after I talk to him, but I’ll wait for when you give me the go-ahead to forward copies to everyone else.”

Steve frowned at Sam’s obvious change of subject but let it go. He really wasn’t in the mood to talk about it either. “Alright.”

When Sam made to leave Steve added in a quietly pleased voice, “I’m glad you’re recruiting someone new.”

Sam gave him half a smile. “Never enough of us, right?”

“Sadly true,” Steve sighed. Sam started leaving for real this time, but was stopped at the door when he heard a Steve call out “Sam.”

The pilot looked back with an inquiring look and raised eyebrow.

Steve grinned cheekily. “You ever going to tell me about that ‘friendly sparring session’ that left you so impressed by this guy?”

            “You don’t need to hear that story, because there’s nothing to tell. I’m serious Cap, don’t ask me again,” Sam groused before leaving to the sound of Steve laughing behind him.

~~~~

“Wilson, I already told you, that EMP would short out Redwing every time you use it,” Tony Stark forwent any sort of greeting when he picked up Sam’s call on the third ring, and Sam didn’t bother trying to stop the smirk that overtook his face.

“Hey, if you can’t make it happen, just say so, Stark. I thought you were smarter than that, but its fine,” Sam said dismissively, knowing the implication would piss off the older man.

“I am way too smart and way too busy to put up with your disrespect,” Tony grumbled, but Sam knew the billionaire was grinning too. “I make you a hyper-advanced falcon robot and all you do is try to make it ‘better,’ and yes Wilson, I did add air quotes around better.”

“I think you need to put your money where your mouth is, Stark, and prove that genius title isn't for show. Make it happen.”

“Um, why should I, Wilson?” Stark was clearly joking, so it was that much more satisfying when Sam responded seriously.

“Well, I could share what I know about the person responsible for fixing the mess with the Pyms."

The silence over the line was deafening and Sam relished in it. A person had a right to be proud when they managed to stun Tony Stark into silence. The times it happened could probably be counted on one hand.

“Oh, is that something you might be interested in, Tony?” Sam queried, falsely surprised.

“You better not be messing with me, Wilson. Are you telling me you know who stopped Darren Cross at Pym Technologies?” Tony was deadly serious, and Sam responded in kind.

“I am. In fact, I know who was using the mysterious tech you might be interested in.”

"I will be there in 20 minutes, do not leave,” Tony bit out, before he ended the call. Sam would protest at being ordered around, but he guessed the scientist in Tony was a little excited. He had figured the man had already looked into the incident, because during his own research into the event he had come across the ties between the Pyms and the Starks. Sam settled into an armchair and cheerfully waited for the billionaire.

He didn’t have to wait long, as Tony made it to the compound in 15 minutes flat. He didn’t bothering asking how Tony knew where he was and simply grinned as the man released the armor and made his way to Sam.

“What do you know?” Tony once again skipped any pleasantries and stopped in front of Sam.

“Not even a hello? Come on Stark, you haven’t been around in ages, not even to train. Vision’s been lonely.” Sam faked hurt but Stark wasn’t apparently in the mood.

“I’m not messing around here, Sam, what did you find out? The tech involved in that incident is horrifyingly powerful and the person who invented it isn’t fond of outsider involvement or oversight,” Tony was obviously agitated, all his consonants and words bit out. He didn’t even sit down, and started pacing. “How did you find out about the tech? Hell, how could you find out the person even existed afterwards? Friday and I scoured every resource available to us and turned up nothing.”

Sam shrugged. “I met the guy when he robbed you.”

Stark froze and slowly turned to Sam, mouth hanging open, hands frozen mid-agitated gesture, once again struck speechless. Sam would feel bad if he wasn’t so smug.

“I want to recruit him to the Avengers and am making sure it wouldn’t be a problem.”

Tony continued to gape.

“I have a way to contact him too,” Sam cheerfully explained.

Tony staggered to a seat and sat down heavily. “Holy shit, Wilson. if you met him when he was robbing me... He needed one of my inventions for the fight.”

“Can I take this as permission to invite him?” Sam inquired with a small smile.

“Do you really even have to ask?” Tony had apparently recovered from his shock and seemed caught between laughing at Sam and pulling at his hair in exasperation.

“It seemed the polite thing to do,” Sam grinned, to which Tony did bark out a laugh.

"I can't believe you kept the break-in a secret from me," he shook his head seriously and Sam shrugged.

"You'd tell Cap, and then he'd never let me hear the end of it. Does it help that we didn't know he stole anything until just recently?"

Tony pursed his lips faux-thoughtfully, before slowly nodding. "Those seem like good reasons."

Sam lost the smile then, and made sure to meet Tony’s eyes seriously.

“But really, I do want to recruit him. Full membership, yeah? I think he’d be a good Avenger, and I know you handle all the administrative stuff,” Sam pointed out hopefully.

“Me and Pepper, yeah,” Tony agreed absently, deep in thought. “If you like the guy, I don’t know why I’d refuse him. In fact, I can’t come up with a reason not to have another hero around.”

Sam smiled at that, and unthinkingly blurted out, “He’s an engineer too.” He froze, worried that Tony would realize he had overheard him, but Tony gave no indication that he caught the slip. He just beamed at Sam. “Well, now you’re just buttering me up, Wilson. A hero and a scientist? Yeah, I won’t protest you inviting him. Do I get any info on him so I can start arranging everything to welcome him?”

Sam held up his phone with the email pulled up on it. “About to send you the file on him I compiled.”

Tony nodded, and got up. “Great, I’ll read it on my way back to New York.”

Sam grimaced a bit. “You needed back there?”

“I may have left right before a very important meeting with very important and easily offended people,” Tony said grimly and pulled a face. “Pepper won’t be happy.”

Sam winced at that and made to apologize, but Tony held up a hand to stop him before he could. “Don’t worry about it. Actually, before I forget, you did talk to Cap about this, right?”

Sam nodded. “Yeah, he wanted me to check with you too, which I was going to do already.”

Tony snorted. “I’m sure you were, you wanted to gloat.”

Sam shrugged. “I won’t deny that.”

Tony laughed as he prepared to leave in the suit again. “Whatever, Wilson. See if I get you that upgrade now.”

“Hey, you owe me,” Sam insisted with a smirk.

“Lies and slander,” Tony said with mock offense. He was fully suited up, minus the faceplate now, but he paused before he left. He gave Sam a considering look. “If Steve is okay with it, then I’m okay with it too.”

Sam was once again hit with the urge to roll his eyes but accepted the statement with a nod. “He wanted to check with you too.”

Tony gave him a look, before the faceplate snapped down and he turned to leave. “Sure, Wilson. Keep me updated. Friday and I will organize whatever you need.”

The suit took off and was out of sight in seconds. Sam rubbed his forehead at the headache threatening to appear, and groaned. It was like high school all over again. But before he could wallow too much in his exasperation, his phone lit up.

_Seriously, make sure to recruit this guy._

Sam’s spirits lifted at the text from Tony, and when he checked his email, he found a message from Steve, who was more than pleased about what he read in Scott’s file. The hero brushed off thinking about what still needed to be done in favor of celebrating for a bit. After all, he succeeded in phase one. Next he had to convince Scott that he wanted to be an Avenger as badly as they wanted him to be an Avenger.

~~~~

The first time Tony met Scott, he was having a bowl of cereal. He had been welcomed into the building just a couple days before, with a jaunty wave and an easy smirk from Sam.

“Don’t worry, he won’t even know you’re here”

Despite the fact that it was actually his tower and home long before the Avengers moved in, it turned out Sam was right. Scott hadn’t seen a hair of the famous billionaire since he joined the team. Well, it wasn’t really like he joined. It would be more apt to say coerced, blackmailed, seduced or even bribed into the team before saying he was “invited” to join. The whole situation from the beginning had been confusing and more than a little alarming. Even when basically saving the world with Hope and Hank, Scott had never imagined joining the Avengers and going public with his acts of heroism. Being recognized for his good (though vigilante) deeds usually didn’t end well for him. (Even the judge for his case was unhappy about sending Scott to prison. VistaCorp was a shitty company and everyone knew it.) That alone made Scott wary of Sam’s intentions when the flier called him up with an invitation. The memories of how his coming here came to pass flashed through his head, starting with the fateful call from two weeks ago.

“I really don’t know, Sam. I think we’re still on very different pages.” Scott kneaded his forehead. He should’ve known today would suck when he woke up with a headache and to the sounds of Luis trying to put out a waffle fire while Dave and Kurt commented on his technique.

“Well, I really don’t know how, Tic-Tac. It’s simple: I’m calling you in to join the Avengers,” Sam was wandering Central Park with a coffee in one hand and his phone in the other while he talked to Scott. Convincing the ex-con that he wanted to be a part of the team was proving to be the most difficult aspect in his “Recruit Ant-Man to the Avengers plan” and no, that wasn’t irksome at all.

“Yeah, I got that. I just don’t know how I feel about joining on a permanent basis… Which is what you’re asking for, right?”

Sam settled on a park bench to watch the citizens of New York go about their business. He had flown into town earlier that day to get coffee from his favorite place and to enjoy the day. He always felt a deep satisfaction in knowing he helped save all the people around him, and when being a superhero got to be a bit too much, he’d go on a walk to remind himself why he did what he did. No matter how awful and difficult the job could be, at the end of the day he did good things. Maybe he could convince Scot that it’d be easier for him to do just that as part of the team. “Yeah. Full membership with all the perks, like a place in the compound and a team that backs you up. I know you care about helping people, anyone can see that just looking at your record, and being an Avenger would make that a lot easier.”

 _And a lot of good that’s done for me._ Scott sighed and silently cursed the traitorous thought. He regretted a lot of things he’s done, but some of the only things he’s proud of were done out of a desire to do the right thing. If he fucked himself over in the process, well that’s on him. Doesn’t mean that joining such a public group didn’t make him nervous. 

            “You should join the Avengers, be a part of something. We watch out for each other, Scott,” Sam persisted.

            “Your team has also made a lot of mistakes,” Scott cautiously brought up, wary of crossing a line. He may be turning Sam down, but he really did like and respect the guy. If there was a pressing emergency he’d probably help in a heartbeat.

            Sam winced a bit. They had made a lot of mistakes, but damn if they aren’t trying to be better. “I won’t deny that. That’s what happens in a group of powerful and independent people.”

            “If you’re all like that, why do you need me on your team? I’m flattered, believe me, but I can save people as I am right now.”

            “There are never enough superheroes, ” Sam was solemn as memories of Tony’s shoulders slumped in defeat, the way Natasha will sometimes stop and stare in the direction of Bruce’s rooms, and the nights where Wanda will cry out in her sleep for someone who can’t respond all flashed through his head. Scott was struck by the tone in Sam’s voice, and the words came out before he could stop them.

“There’s a story to that, isn’t there?”

Sam chuckled dryly. “I guess you’ll never know if you don’t join the squad.”

Scott barely held himself back from whining at how unfair that was. He’d deny it, but Scott was nosy as all get out. Half of the reasons for why he got into software engineering and then crime was because he didn’t like not knowing what everyone else knew. It got him into trouble, that was for sure, but he also knew a lot of dirty secrets that people would save on their servers, mistakenly thinking it’d be safe from the public's eye. He’d exposed a lot of terrible people that way, and made a lot of enemies. Scott had actually tried to hack into the Stark Industries servers a few times, back before Stark has stopped weapons productions in the company. He had seen some suspicious links between SI and some unsavory company accounts, but the servers were phenomenally well-defended. He had only managed to hack some servers, and it wasn't until SHIELD’s files were released that Scott found the files on Obadiah Stane and the double-dealing. He was one of the people who personally made sure those files caught the public’s eye.

"I'd be super far away from my daughter if I live in New York... Can I just join you guys case by case?"

Same internally acknowledged the point, but patted himself on the back for his forethought.

"It won't be the same if you don't train and work with us, especially because our work together helps so much in the field. I mean, not everyone gets to train with two of the best fighters in the history of the planet. That's Captain America and Black Widow, to clarify. But I understand if you don't want to join us at the compound," Sam sighed. 

Scott wanted to squirm, because he and Sam both knew he wanted that so bad. But Cassie would win out from now on, he was going to stick to it.

"Though... Tony Stark has already given you free use of his fleet of private jets. And we have the Quinjet."

"Holy shit... I can use the jet? Whenever?"

"Jets. Plural."

"Holy shit. Holy- Rich people." Scott breathed it out like an expletive. Sam had to agree.

It was actually remembering his experiences with the rich that gave Scott an idea for his next excuse. “I bet you haven’t even asked anyone in the team about this yet! Tony Stark can’t want a convicted thief on his property!”

Scott’s teeth flashed in a grin. “On the contrary, he’s excited to meet you and upgrade all your tech. Apparently, gear based superpowers are something of a specialty of his.”

“My tech doesn’t need upgrading,” Scott defended loyally. While Hank’s refusal to take Scott’s input and ideas seriously, or his refusal to even consider that his designs could be improved upon was frustrating, Hank Pym was still the genius who allowed Scott to see his daughter again and he’d stand up for the older man.

“See, I said that about the wings, until I had my first flight with the newly upgraded tech and promptly ate my words. I don’t refuse improvements anymore,” Sam cheerfully informed Scott, and the engineer wouldn’t lie, that was a tempting thought. Working with Tony Stark was like a wet dream for anyone who loved technology.  

Sam sensed Scott’s weakening resolve and pressed his advantage. “In fact, Steve is excited to meet someone who ‘stood up for the people’ and ‘went to jail for his beliefs’.”

Scott laughed despite himself. “I think I heard air quotes.”

“Steve is pretty big on doing the right thing.”

“Well yeah, he’s Captain America,” Scott rolled his eyes before the implications of Sam’s statement sunk in. “Wait, Captain America is excited to meet _me?”_

“He really is. Don’t let him down Scott, join up!”

But Scott was unwilling to give up the fight just yet, amazing as the idea that the Avengers would be happy to meet him was. “Give me a day to think about it.”

“Alright. Let me know your decision tomorrow. Remember, you and your family will be taken care of too.” The two finished the call and Scott proceeded to freak out in the living room while Luis gave him waffles and Kurt and Dave gave him unhelpful advice. (The three took the invitation to join the Avengers as a given, as well as his acceptance of said invitation. They were generally unperturbed by the situation, which probably shouldn’t be surprising after the adventure they had just had together. Seeing a friend shrink to the size of an ant probably raised the levels for how for amazing something has to be for you to be surprised by it. Kurt did ask for Black Widow’s signature, though that was definitely understandable, all things considered.)

In the end, Cassie made the decision for him, which was hardly a surprise. He had visited her that evening to run Sam’s offer by her before he officially accepted it. (He had hated when his parents had made decisions that affected the whole family without talking to him when he was growing up, so Scott tried to be open with Cassie. He had felt guilty every single day he was away from his family in prison. His actions had hurt them, and he had sworn to himself that he owed it to them to try to do the right thing by them from then on. And one of those things was communicating with them honestly.) When he told her he was asked to join the Avengers, she was ecstatic.

“The real Avengers, daddy?!” She was bouncing on the bed and Scott couldn’t stop the smile on his face.

“Yeah sweetheart, them. The heroes want me to help them.”

“Well duh, you’re a hero too, and they need the best,” Cassie’s tone was matter-of-fact and exasperated, obviously annoyed that her Dad was being dense. “You’re going to join, right?”

"I don’t know honey, I’d have to do a lot of risky things, and go a lot of dangerous places,” Scott tried not to downplay the risks to being an Avenger, and Cassie knew better than most what’s it’s like to almost lose a parent. (He may never forgive himself for disappearing right in front of her that day, but Cassie didn’t hold it against him. He came back, after all.)

Cassie paused, and looked away to mess with her bunny. “But… You’d have a team, right?”

Scott took a moment to puzzle over where this was going. “Yes?”

“Mommy says we can’t help you when you go to fight, and you fight to protect people, so if I can’t help you, then I think the Avengers should. Cause you put us before yourself, so you should have other heroes who will do the same for you,” Cassie reasoned seriously. Scott was almost overcome with emotion when he realized how much his daughter had grown. She was already so strong and brave, and she cared so much about everyone she met. He’d sacrificed his life before, and he’d do it again to protect this child.

Scott composed himself with difficulty before responding, “Is that so?”

Cassie nodded. “This way Ms. Black Widow and Mr. Captain America and Mr. Falcon and Ms. Scarlet Witch and all of them can help you save people. Then you can save even more people.”

Scott imitated the seriousness of her delivery. “That is all very true. So I can help people and have someone to help me.”

“Yeah! And then they’ll make sure you come back safe to me,” Cassie reminded him.

“That is very important.”

“That’s the most important!” The little girl faltered before reluctantly admitting, “It’s maybe as important as saving lots of people.”

"I'll also be far away..." Scott said.

Cassie frowned a bit. "Didn't you tell me and Mom that you'd be able to visit me a bunch on Mister Iron Man's planes?"

"I did say that, and I meant that! And you're invited to visit me whenever you want," Scott insisted.

She gasped. "So I'll be able to meet all of the Avengers too!"

"If they're lucky," Scott winked.

Cassie and him freaked out for a while about how cool it all was before he remembered it wasn't a done deal yet.

“So you’ll forgive me if I put myself in danger as an Avenger? ” Scott had to ask. When he started seriously considering accepting the offer, he had been terrified that it was because he had loved being Ant-Man. The adrenaline alone was addicting, and being an Avenger guaranteed excitement and adventure. But if Cassie also thought it was the right thing to do? Maybe Scott could be selfish, but she almost never was.

“You already do that alone, right?” Cassie wasn’t bitter or angry when she said that, simply honest and direct, but Scott still wanted to squirm under her gaze. There wasn’t anything to say to that, and that was the end of it. Cassie had decided he should be an Avenger.

After tucking in his daughter to bed, he trailed downstairs to where Paxton and Maggie were chatting at the kitchen table. (The fact they let him talk to Cassie unsupervised never ceased to surprise him, but man, was he grateful for it.)

“Hey, sorry to interrupt, but can I talk to you for a second, Maggie?” Scott apologetically asked.

“What about?” She gave him an unimpressed look (that always hurt, he wouldn’t lie. Scott used to want to impress her more than anything, and now it took saving Cassie’s and Paxton’s life as a superhero to manage it.)

“It’s about a decision that will impact you guys,” Scott reluctantly admitted.

Maggie drew herself up, probably to automatically protest that Paxton could always listen to something that would affect her daughter since the fiancé would be Cassie’s father too, but Paxton easily excused himself from the room before she could. He really was a good guy, and Scott and he had come to an understanding after everything that had happened. Scott would never keep things from Paxton if it could end up hurting Cassie, and Paxton would respect Scott’s role as her father. If someone kept something from the other it was because it was personal and not something the other needed to know.

Maggie huffed irritably nonetheless, but didn’t call her fiancé back. (Scott didn’t blame her for resenting him. He put his ex-wife through a lot of shit, and she had to raise Cassie alone for a long time. He resented himself for it. But that’d never excuse what he did, and they both knew he wouldn’t change the fact that he exposed VistaCorp. All he’d change was how he did the crime, so as not to get caught this time.)

She gave him a long, skeptical look, and he shifted uncomfortably from his place at the end of the table. She sighed, and waved him to a seat. “Do you want some tea or anything? Decaf coffee? It’s a little late to give you anything with caffeine.”

“Tea would be nice,” he said gratefully, and smiled as he took his place at the table and watched Maggie pour him a mug of hot water. She didn’t need to ask which tea bag, and grabbed his usual for late nights spent working before bringing the beverage back to the table. After a pause while Scott made his tea and Maggie returned to hers, she gave him an expectant look.

“Well? What’s up?”

 “I was invited to join the Avengers, and I think I’m going to accept,” Scott said simply.

She blinked, caught off guard. “Oh. Wow. Okay then. Um…” She floundered for words, unusually lost for what to say, and finally settled on, “The actual Avengers?”

Scott smiled. “The one and only. Apparently, I caught someone’s eye when I took care of business.”

She snickered. “This is both the only time that’s a good thing, and the first time it’s happened that you caught someone’s eye because you were subtle.”

Scott laughed at the irony of his life with her, and it was so nice to have a moment where they could laugh about their past together and his choices. When they eventually quieted, the lull in the conversation was comfortable, and Scott was almost disappointed when Maggie returned to the subject at hand.

“What’ll change for us with you working for them?” She asked interestedly.

Scott fidgeted with his mug, not positive how much he could say was definite. “Hank compensated me well, you know that, and working for the team will hardly decrease what I make. I’ll actually earn more, and have all the same, if not improved, benefits. I will have to go on more missions, which is a given, but I get a place in the Avengers compound to live, and time off when I need it and there isn’t a world-ending emergency. Apparently, those get priority.”

Maggie briefly smiled at the quip, but was grim as she processed the information. “So long missions that could happen at any time, a salary increase, and a greater likelihood that you’ll be in danger,” she paraphrased neatly.

Scott shrugged non-committedly, but she took his silence as the confirmation it was. She nodded solemnly, and he waited for the inevitable lecture. He was surprised when it didn’t come, and she simply said,

“Scott? Just don’t die. I don’t get a say in your life anymore, except as the mother of our child. Cassie needs you around, and I can’t deal with the tears that would come with you getting hurt.” Her voice was soft despite the harshness of her words, and she smiled, proud. (If he wasn’t already sure he’d join the team, that pride would’ve convinced him. She was pleased with his decision, clearly approved of what he would be doing, and he still remembered the days when he had a significant other that would brag about “my husband, the systems engineer”)

He warmly said “Believe me, that’s not the plan,” and then promptly wanted to slap himself when Maggie’s smile dropped off her face. The last time he had said that was when she was yelling at him after she found out what he did, and she told him he could be arrested.

She stared at him a long time and he waited for the lecture that was sure to come. She shook her head. “Scott, I used to ask myself why you did the things you did.”

“Yeah? And what did you decide?” He asked, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

“You can’t help it,” Scott winced at her sharp words, and she softened the next thing she said when she saw it. “You could always turn a blind eye, do the easy thing, the safe thing, but you never did. You can’t help feeling angry at what you see as injustices, and not even prison could shake you of that.”

The kitchen was silent as the two stared each other down, until Maggie, surprisingly, looked away first. “Do what you need to do, and know that Cassie and I will support you, whatever your decision is.”

~~~~

The next day, before Scott called Sam, he went to talk to Hank. It was probably wise to tell the scientist responsible for giving him the suit what he planned to use the tech for.

“Absolutely not! Are you crazy? Living in a building where that madman could get his hands on my discoveries at any time? No, I cannot support this.”

The conversation could’ve been going better. Scott pleadingly looked to where Hope was standing in the hopes she help him out. He had called her that morning to let her know his plans and to ask her to “coincidentally” be in the same place when he went to talk to her Dad over lunch. She gave him an admonishing look, but interrupted her Father’s angry ranting. “Dad, you gave him the suit, and he wants to use it to help people. He’s already said that he’d still help you with anything you need him to do in the suit. So what if he’s working with the Avengers and Tony Stark is one? You don’t think your petty rivalry with the Starks has gone on long enough?”

Scott snickered quietly while Hank turned on Hope with an insulted expression. There were few people who could cut to the core of things and call you out on your behavior like Hope could. She was merciless, and while it could be hard to deal with sometimes, Scott appreciated it more times than not. This was one of the moments where he enjoyed it.

“Petty rivalry? Howard Stark was an egomaniac and a bully, traits I have seen too many times in his son as well. Organizations they are a part of, no matter how well-intentioned, fall to corruption,” Hank furiously exclaimed.

“As long as you’re saying all this from an objective standpoint. You’ve never made mistakes like that, right?” Hope persisted in arguing with her Dad, but Scott could tell she saw merit to her Father’s objections. She was leaving it up to him to convince her Dad the suit would not be used for wrongdoing.

“Hank,” Scott interrupted the two, then promptly regretted it as they both turned glares on him. (They were definitely similar when it came to their tempers.) “Hank, I will not let the Pym Particle fall into anyone’s nefarious hands,” Scott said jokingly in an attempt to diffuse their tempers, then winced when the glares just intensified. He tried again, solemn this time. “Hank, no one has been able to quite perfect the formula like you did without deep knowledge of your methods and expertise. I will keep the particle secret, I will keep it safe, and I will use it only to help others. I trust the Avengers. You gave me a chance to redeem myself when no one else would, so give them a shot. Let me help them!”

“You help people already!” Hank was not willing to give this up yet, but Hope was there to back her boyfriend up.

“Mom would want him to join.”

The two would bicker for half an hour more, but the second Hope pulled the mom card, the war was won. Scott sat back and let them hash out the details around him. These lunches with both of them were exhausting, despite their improved relationship and their work on finishing Hope’s suit. When she started superheroing, Scott absently wondered if the Avengers would recruit her to replace him when she revealed herself to the world. She was already so good at fighting, and the day she’d kick evil’s collective ass was rapidly approaching. But then Sam’s comment on never having enough heroes flashed through his mind, and he knew that they wouldn’t get rid of him if he kept doing what he was doing and kept saving people. They’ll recruit Hope too, in a heartbeat, but they need all the heroes they can get.

~~~~

It was time for Scott to make the fateful call. He had talked to his family, employer, friends, and his conscience, and he couldn’t stall any longer. He’d even venture to say he was excited. Sam picked up on the second ring, and Scott amusedly wondered if the man had been waiting for the call day. That thought made him feel a bit better when he gave in and agreed to join the team.

When Sam heard Scott say yes, he looked around to make sure he was alone before fist-pumping victoriously. No one saw it, so Sam could excuse the gesture. Sometimes you just had to celebrate a job well-done.

Scott sharply cut in when he heard Sam take a breath to undoubtedly gloat over Scott changing his mind. “Don’t celebrate yet, remember, I have some terms! And they’re big ones. If you can’t guarantee this stuff, I won’t join. Cassie has to be able to visit me whenever she wants and should get a room for times she wants to stay over-“

“Of course man, that’s your kid. The only time she wouldn’t be allowed to visit you is if she’d be in danger or if no one was around to be with her,” Sam almost sounded insulted, but Scott refused to feel bad and loudly continued speaking over the interruption.

“No one gets the details of the Pym Particle but me,”

Sam frowned a bit, but didn’t interrupt this time. The others wouldn’t love that, Tony especially, but it wasn’t really unfair.

“And finally, I can also help Hank Pym on missions when he needs me.”

“Counter-offer, you let us know what the missions are so if you need back-up, you have it.”

Scott was quiet over the line as he considered that. “I suppose we could talk about the specifics of that one,” he acknowledged carefully.

“You won’t regret this,” Sam said cheerfully, his smugness broadcasting loud and clear over the phone.

“I already do.” Sam was still laughing when Scott turned off the phone.

~~~~

Then after a whirlwind of a week spent packing, organizing and hashing out all the details with Sam, Hank, and one memorable conversation with Tony Stark’s AI Friday, it was time to move-in.

Luis was tearful when he gave Scott his hug, Kurt gave him a solemn pat on the shoulder and a bizarre, Russian non-sequitur, and Drew tried a final time to wheedle directions to the compound out of Scott.

“For the last time, I love you guys, and I trust you, but I don’t trust you not to accidentally spill the location. Some rookie super villain attacking their base of operations because I let slip where it was wouldn't exactly endear me to my new team,” Scott stared them each down in turn as he said this and Luis nodded understandingly through the tears, while Drew sulkily accepted his words. Kurt though, just looked puzzled and asked “endear? What do deer have to do with this?”

It seemed fitting that their farewells would get sidetracked by Luis’s explanations of how he first learned how to use the word “endear” from a friend of a friend’s second cousin.

When he finally left with his stuff and a waffle for lunch, Scott met the first driver for his trip. Sam had sent him the directions for finding the super-secret Avengers Compound where he was now supposed to live, and Scott had to take a lot of connections to get there. (He didn't have the heart to tell anyone that he was already well aware of the location of the compound.) He luckily didn’t have a lot of luggage (was that lucky?) to carry, and while the reserved and quiet drivers were a little intimidating at first, all of the car rides and flights were comfortable.

When he got to the massive compound that was to be his new home, Sam met him with a grin, gave him a basic tour of the training facilities, Scott’s quarters, and all the communal spaces, before expressing the team’s regrets that they couldn’t welcome him in person. He then literally grew wings and flew away. Sam was definitely a show-off at heart, but Scott had to admit he had a flair for the dramatic.

~~~~

So now here he was, two days after moving in, eating cereal in the Avengers’ communal kitchen at 10 in the morning. It was almost anti-climactic. He had seen other people and staff around the compound, sure, but most of the team, minus Tony, Vision, Wanda and Rhodes, was off on some recon mission to find out what Crossbones’s next target was (or so Scott was told). That’s why Sam had to leave so quickly, he had only even still been there to make sure Scott got around okay. (He probably could’ve delegated the task, but Scott appreciated that he didn’t) The other three were doing other important things, as well. Rhodes was still working for the US Air Force, Vision and Wanda were saving some villages from what seemed to be a giant serpent with a few of Tony’s robots for backup, and the billionaire himself had to make the money needed to keep the Avengers going. Sam had also informed him when updating him on the group’s whereabouts that Scott wasn’t supposed to go on any missions until formal introductions were made, and the group familiarized themselves a bit with his abilities and fighting style.

So to say Scott was surprised when the pilot of the Iron Man suit and the subject of several M.I.T. courses walked into the kitchen in a three-piece Tom Ford suit is a bit of an understatement. He was definitely less than prepared, which is Scott’s defense for why he knocked over his glass in shock. (Thank God it was empty.)

“So you’re Scott Lang, master thief and breaker of the laws of physics. As one lawbreaker to another, it’s good to meet you,” Tony fucking _Stark_ cheerfully stated. The man completely ignored his fumbling as he went to set the table back to rights, for which Scott would be eternally grateful.

“Oh, um, yeah, that’s me,” Scott said, cursing his awkwardness. But don’t let anyone tell you that Scott Lang was a coward, because he didn’t instantly shrink and flee from the entire situation. He stood up from his spot at the table and stuck out a hand to the other man to shake. “I’m Ant-Man,” Scott introduced himself and then winced noticeably. This would’ve been the perfect time to introduce himself as some new, epic name rather than Hank Pym's old, unfortunate alias.

Tony’s lip twitched up with amusement, before he took off his fancy red sunglasses and shook Scott’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Ant-Man, I’m Iron Man.” His brown eyes were warm as they met Scott, and while he was amused, the look wasn’t mean or mocking. He had a strong, confident handshake, and Scott had to firmly remind himself to let go off the man’s hand after he stood there shaking it for a while.

"Thanks, just to explain, I don’t actually turn into an ant or anything, I can just shrink down to the size of one, and the suit sort of has a reddish color, so, that’s why my creator dubbed me Ant-Man. I don’t fight like an ant either, I’m just… Just the size of one.” Scott took a breath and struggled not to seem as dazed as he felt. He was doing his nervous babbling thing again and cut himself off with difficulty. God, next thing he knows he’ll blurt out that he’s hacked into Stark Industries before.

Tony nodded thoughtfully, seriously considering the explanation. “Makes sense, I mean, the suit isn’t made out of iron, but they all called it that anyway. It’s actually a gold-titanium alloy,” Tony confided seriously to Scott. Scott caught himself nodding along, mind quickly analyzing that information with what he knew of the suit.

“That makes a lot more sense. Iron wouldn’t have the right properties at all for the sort of sustained flight and all the beatings you must take in battles,” Scott said thoughtlessly, before he heard what he said and went to apologize for implying that the man took a lot of beatings in fights. But far from offended, he look delighted at Scott’s evident grasp of mechanics.

“Exactly! But hey, the emotional imagery for your superhero name has to come before scientific accuracy, you understand. Anyways, I can’t stay and chat, just wanted to fly by, make sure you had settled in and Sam had shown you around. The team should be back in a day, tops, but until then Friday can help you with anything else you might need. Don’t forget you can always ask. You remember her from the phone, right?” Before Scott could process and respond to the barrage of information delivered at top speed in a disarmingly easy way, he continued. “Say hi to the new Avenger, Friday!”

Scott didn’t startle when a voice came out of the walls, but it was a close thing. “I sincerely doubt Mr. Lang requires me to introduce myself again, nor do I think ‘hi’ to be a suitable form of introduction. But I will say that, Mr. Lang, it is a pleasure to formally meet you.”

Scott stared in awe around him, unable to find the source of the voice, and almost absently said, “Call me, Scott, please.”

“Of course, Scott. The man is correct when he says you can ask me anything. I am installed in all of the Avengers-accessible areas for people of the correct clearance,” Friday pleasantly explained, and if Scott wasn’t already amazed, he was now by the amount of personality present in the AI’s voice. “Thank you, I appreciate it, Friday. I can call you Friday, right?”

“Please feel free,” the AI returned calmly. Scott caught himself looking back to Tony Stark with awe, and the billionaire met his eyes cheerfully, obviously satisfied with the whole situation.

“I should probably introduce myself formally too, and not just as my superhero identity. Tony Stark, but just call me Tony,” he said, to which Scott automatically countered,

“Sure, as long as you call me Scott.”

Tony flashed him another pleased grin, before flicking his sunglasses back on and making his way back to the door.  “Done, Scott. I really do have to run, or fly, as it is, but you’ll see me around soon enough. I worry that the team is trashing my house while I’m away, and I really can’t resist the urge to science with another person. Yes, Scott, I heard that you’re no slouch with engineering, and I can’t wait to work with someone who’s managed to hack into the Stark Industries main frame in recent years.” Scott paled when he heard that, but Tony only slid his sunglasses down his nose and winked. “Hey, if I can’t defend my servers, then I want to know about it. Your successful hack showed me I needed to strengthen all of the firewalls, led me to invent some great anti-spyware software, and helped me make the money to pay for Black Widow’s latest gear upgrades. Anyways, I’ll be back eventually, feel free to try to get through the server’s defenses again, I want to see how well you do this time.”

After the famous superhero and philanthropist whisked his way out of the room, his final statements thrown over his shoulder carelessly, Scott found himself inexplicably reminded of how he felt after a long conversation with Luis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm going to try to update at least once a week, more if I find a free moment or get hit by a burst of inspiration. College life is hard, guys.  
> Beta'd by [dontcallmeking](http://archiveofourown.org/users/dontcallmeking/pseuds/dontcallmeking)  
> Check out her [blog](brokuroo.tumblr.com) or account, she is wonderfully funny and writes some amazing stuff!  
> Everyone's kudos and comments warmed my heart! I hope this official first chapter meets your high expectations!


	3. Getting to Know You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers are reassembling, issues and all, to greet their new teammate, and Scott's gonna have to meet them head on. Well, that was his plan, at least. Being the new guy always sucks, but at least Friday seems nice!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much for that weekly update schedule, amirite? Hahaha… Sorry?  
> Yeah, it’s been a while guys, sorry for the delay. I had a bit of a mental block for a while because when I was planning out later chapters for this fic, I was overwhelmed by just how much the MCU fucked over all of the characters and the ship. Then I got angry at heteronormativity in society, the comics, and was generally uninspired… I wouldn’t have been able to get myself to write as much as I did without all you lovely commentators and readers! Every bookmark and kudos and word of support boosted my spirits! So thank you!  
> I meant to get this out on Thanksgiving to help people distract themselves from the terror that is family dinners, but this’ll have to do.  
> Anyways! Sorry for the delay and the short length, but I just wanted to write something and publish it to feel like I made progress. Beta’d by dontcallmeking as usual. Merci!

Scott shook his head once, baffled. A billionaire just told him to address him by his first name. Surreal. While Hank was also crazy rich, there was a fame and notoriety to the engineer that makes even the reclusive mystery Hank is pale in comparison to Tony Stark. One of the things _Tony-_ (and wouldn’t that take some getting used to, God, what if all the Avengers ask him to call them by their first names?!) told him stuck in his head and Scott turned to look at the ceiling, once more scanning for cameras and speakers. “Friday?”

“Yes, Scott?” The computerized but still distinctly Irish AI chimed in from somewhere, and Scott frowned a bit, displeased by how well hidden the cameras must be. He resolved to either convince Friday to tell him where everything was hidden later, or to find it all himself.  “Have you been able to talk to me the whole time?”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand your question,” the AI was apologetic as she said this, and Scott hastened to rephrase his query.

"I mean, could I have been talking to you this whole time? Like… chatting? Asking you random questions? Or would that take too much of your time?”

“If you’re asking if we would be able to talk throughout the day for reasons other than the strictly practical, then yes we can. As long as it does not interfere with other protocols I must undertake,” Friday seemed both baffled and amused. Scott scratched his cheek, unsure if he should feel embarrassed or not.

“Is that a weird thing to ask?”

“I’ve just never been asked such a thing before, so I was unprepared,” The AI admitted, with that same note of surprise she had when he first asked.

Scott was pretty surprised himself. “Really? Do you not talk to the others?”

“I do, but usually only when they specifically request my assistance with something or have a question only I can answer,” Friday replied. “Captain Rogers does speak to me more frequently than most of the other Avengers, second only to Sir himself.”

Scott filed that surprising information away to think about later, and grinned at where he hypothesized the surveillance camera was placed. “Let me know if I ever start to bother you Friday, because I’ll probably talk to you a lot. And often.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, but assure you that won’t happen,” Friday sounded amused.

“Me annoying you, or you telling me to stop?” Scott grinned.

"The latter,” Friday stated calmly. “It’s against my programming.”

Scott chuckled, feeling far less out-of-place than he had before the entire interaction with Tony. He turned to finish his breakfast where his Fruity Pebbles were probably terribly soggy by now.

The ex-con froze, the realization that the Avenger had seen him eating the children’s cereal dawning on him. He groaned, head in his hands, and dropped into his chair dejectedly. “Friday, please tell me he wouldn’t notice my choice in cereal.”

“I’m afraid he likely did. He already told me to note your eating habits and update the grocery list accordingly. Is there a reason you’d not want him to see your choice in breakfast foods?” Friday at least had the grace to sound apologetic, despite failing to see how mortifying the situation was.

Scott waved a hand at his bowl, as if that would explain it all. “Just… I’m trying to prove to the Avengers that I belong here, and yet he saw me eating my daughter’s favorite cereal. And she’s 7.”

Friday processed this before responding. “If I may, Scott, I would like to remind you that this cereal was already in the building, and is a permanent item on the grocery list.”

“Really?”

“Sure thing. Clint Barton is particularly fond of Fruity Pebbles, and despite the fact he no longer resides on the compound, we are kept stocked. He is not alone though, as Natasha Romanoff likes Chocolate Rice Krispies, Captain Rogers prefers oatmeal but will splurge with Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, Sam Wilson likes Frosted Mini Wheats, and so on.”

Scott laughed, half out of relief and half out of the sheer shock of imagining the intimidating fighters eating children’s cereal.

“I’m only providing you with pertinent information, no thanks necessary. But you’re welcome."

Scott took another moment to marvel at the liveliness in the A.I. before he resumed his breakfast. Once he was finished, he found himself again at a loss for what to do. After a couple minutes spent considering whether to make another attempt to crack a Pentagon server, he figured he’d take Tony up on his offer. “Friday, can you bring me up some schematics on the building and information on the S.I. servers? I could do it myself, but I think he said you were allowed to help me with this.”

\-----

Steve stared long and hard at the holographic map in front of him. All of Crossbones recent targets were lit up and flashing specifics on the attacks in order to help the team try to figure out some sort of pattern. He crossed his arms and murmured, “What’s his plan here? Why these targets?”

Sam made a thoughtful noise. “It is weird for him to attack banks and all, but maybe after we tore up most of the Hydra strongholds they’ve been having a harder time getting funding than they used to.”

Natasha exhaled sharply, much like any other human being would scoff contemptuously. “Believe me, even with all the files we exposed, they have reliable sources.”

Sam shrugged with an indifference he didn’t feel, and both turned back to Steve when he continued thinking out loud.

“Then what could be his play? He hasn’t stolen any weapons, bio-weapon or otherwise… He’s had only minor back-up, mostly mercenaries for hire on his missions…”

“He’s trying to throw us off,” Natasha commented thoughtfully. “Maybe to avoid exposing any more Hydra resources or objectives?”

“Well, we can’t let him. We know Hydra’s biggest objective. Same thing they always do. Try to take over the world.”

Sam let out an undignified giggle, and Steve turned to him with a raised eyebrow. “Think that’s funny?”

“Course not, Brain.”

Now Natasha was snickering at Steve’s befuddled expression. "Does that make you Pinky, Sam?"

Steve's face cleared with understanding. “Oh, Pinky and the Brain. I get it.”

He tolerated their final giggles with a rueful expression before the plane quieted. Natasha went back to piloting now that their discussion was seemingly on hold till the rest of the team was gathered, Steve gave the map another long, hard stare before irritably shutting it off, and Sam tugged out his phone distractedly, grinning at the message he found. “Friday says Scott is making himself at home in the compound, and met Tony earlier today.”

“Tony didn’t scare him off yet?” Natasha called back from the cockpit.

“Nah, I think it’d take more crazy than that to scare him off. The dude works for Hank Pym and is friends with a guy who was thrown in jail for stealing smoothie machines. Or maybe he’s just bad at convincing crazy to stay away from him…” Sam trailed off thoughtfully.

Steve smiled a bit. “That’s probably for the best if he wants to be an Avenger. We aren’t very normal. Hey, that reminds me. I can’t believe that in your entire opening argument you left out the fact that he can change his size and talk to bugs. Or that he worked for someone else.”

“Hey, I didn’t know about the bug thing until he explained it to me when asking if he can keep ants in the house,” Sam said defensively.

“Don’t ignore the more important parts of that equation, Sam.”

“Like in an ant farm? That shouldn’t be a problem,” Natasha asked, completely ignoring Steve’s disapproving voice.

Sam followed suit, also ignoring the exasperated Captain. “Well, I told him he could bring them, so I guess we’ll see.”

“You didn’t ask me about that, either,” Steve said with a put-upon sigh, though Sam privately thought Steve just liked being a drama queen.

“Tony said to do whatever it took to get him on the team, and he didn’t say the obligatory ‘within reason’ sane people usually add, so. Besides, you don’t care. “

“Yeah, well, mad scientist types put me on edge,” Steve muttered.

“You like Bruce just fine,” Sam pointed out reasonably.

“Bruce is sensible and polite!”

Natasha wheeled her chair around at this to give Steve a truly incredulous look. “The man turns into the Hulk because of an experiment he performed on himself, and listens to Tony on making things like Ultron.”

Sam was glad she didn’t go still and quiet at the mention of Bruce anymore. “Well…” Steve floundered for a second here, obviously trying to save his argument, which Sam easily took advantage of.

“You also let a scientist experiment on you in 1940s America. And you visit the Stark Industries Research and Development people to talk about their recent discoveries and how Tony is treating them. I’ll remind you, the people who work in R and D at SI are insane.” Steve had resorted to pouting mulishly at them by now, but Natasha was not moved.

“The only “mad scientist type” that gets under your skin is Tony, let’s be perfectly clear here.”

Steve groaned. “Guys, leave it alone. Tony and I are fine.”

“But that’s the problem! You’re just fine.” Natasha was getting irritated by now.

“I don’t know what you expect,” Steve asserted stubbornly, completely missing Natasha’s implication that they should be _much_ more than fine. “We have nothing in common, and he’s been avoiding me because he doesn’t like me. Or he’s avoiding another argument.”

Sam didn’t even know where to begin on the wrongness of that statement and when he turned to give Natasha his most skeptical look, he found her with a similar expression of disbelief. The two turned as one to share their bafflement with Steve, but he had already sunk into his signature Tony SulkTM. That was an irritable funk he went into after he and Tony had an argument over something dumb, Tony avoided Steve’s attempts to have a heart to heart over something he _did not want_ to talk about, Tony wasn’t able to make a “strategy meeting” (Steve’s poorly disguised attempts to mend fences with Tony. Too bad he sucked at them), or some other small thing that was usually misinterpreted by one or both parties. Pepper insisted to Tasha that Tony had a similar mood where after Steve was disappointed in him or Tony’s pride got in the way of an apology, the man went and invented something world changing in an effort to prove a point to Steve, who didn’t even realize Tony was doing things to gain his approval. It was a mess, basically.

Through a series of complicated facial expressions, Sam had agreed to correct the first fallacy and Natasha was going to take the second one. Sam had just opened his mouth to start his (incredibly witty and brutally honest) lecture, when Friday’s voice came over the speaker and jolted Steve from his sullen brooding.

“Arrived at the compound. Scarlett Witch and Vision report mission success and are on their way back to base.”

Steve nodded, standing up as the Quinjet came in for a landing. He gave his teammates a hard look. “Drop it, guys. We’ll figure it out.”

“You obviously won’t, though,” Sam tried one more time, but Steve was already walking away from the discussion and down the jet’s ramp.

Natasha stood and began to make her way out, pausing for a second to wait for Sam to pick himself up and drag his hands down his face in frustration.

The two walked down the ramp together and just stood at the bottom watching Steve escape. Sam threw his hands in the air. “I give up.”

Natasha patted his shoulder and started to leave herself. “No, you don’t.”

Sam groaned, deep down knowing she was right, before running to catch up with his teammates.

The trio deposited their stuff in the armory, previous argument left behind them for now in favor of arguing over who did the best in the fight earlier. Just when they had finished changing out of uniform and storing their respective gear, in walked Scarlet Witch, followed by Vision. Everyone exchanged greetings cheerfully, and Steve came to stand by Wanda as she took off her usual gear. Vision phased through the wall dramatically, like the show-off he denies he is, to put on some normal clothes.

“Mission successful?”

Wanda gave her leader a wry smile as she flipped her boot over to dump the water out. “Very. We routed the serpent and limited causalities to zero. We did lose one robot, but we sent Tony the update on our way back.

Steve acknowledged the report with a nod. “Good job, guys. We’ll all debrief over dinner or something, but I think we’ve earned a break. We’ll discuss your fight later.”

Wanda’s response was muffled as she tugged a maroon sweater over her head. “Fine with me, I’d like a break.”

Vision reappeared in the room, now outfitted appropriately. “May I ask if your mission was successful?”

Steve chuckled. “To a general degree. We’re still in the dark about Crossbones’s plan though, and Sam and Natasha spent most of it bickering.”

“I don’t know why she insists on bullying Redwing, she didn’t need to jump off him to reach the next floor of the building,” Sam groused. Natasha just smirked in her usual enigmatic way, and Wanda laughed at Sam’s ire while the Captain turned to look at one of the hidden cameras.

“Hey Friday, where is our new member right now? We should meet him since we’re all gathered and free.” The group turned as one to follow their leader as he strode down the hall.

“He’s currently in the main parlor, at work.”

Sam frowned. “At work, what is he doing-“

Just then the group came upon the newest addition to the team. He was half inside the wall, apparently deep at work deconstructing or constructing something, (it was honestly impossible to tell) and surrounded by tools and the remains of what was probably the main compound server.

“Damn, it’s a shame the Pym particle can only work on my whole body and not just my arm or something. I mean, I get why that is, but still. It’d be really cool. Shrinking your arm isn’t much help if you can no longer reach anything. ”

“You have a point, Scott,” Friday said.

"So that answers one of the questions I was going to ask about your powers,” Steve called out to the electrical engineer buried in their building.

Scott shot up in surprise, hitting his head on what sounded like a metal pipe, and stifled some angry curses before scrambling out of the wall.

“Friday! You said you’d be my lookout!” He yelled half accusatory and half sheepishly as he struggled to look presentable.

“According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a “lookout is “one engaged in keeping watch”. I was looking out for the team, but I presumed from the context of your instructions that as lookout I’d be on the watch for potential threats. Since the Avengers are not a threat to civilians unless you are engaged in threatening or illegal activity, and you were invited to attempt to break into the Stark industries servers and as such are not engaged in the aforementioned threatening or illegal, I took that to mean the Avengers were not individuals that you would need to be warned about and did not alert you to their presence, potentially jeopardizing your current efforts to hack into the mainframe.”

“You offended Friday,” Steve said faux-quietly to Scott, who looked like he wanted to stay affronted but only felt abashed.

Sam whistled. “It took me a week to offend her.”

“That’s incorrect, Mr. Wilson. If a system such as I could feel something like offense, you would have offended me the second day we met,” Friday said savagely.

Sam recoiled in shock, and Wanda rolled her eyes next to him. “Don’t ask her what you said, I can tell you. You called Friday the ‘new and hopefully improved digital butler.’”

“It was really quite unkind of you,” Vision chimed in unhelpfully. “I was in the same room.”

When even Scott turned to Sam with a disapproving expression he flung his hands up. “It was a joke!”

Wanda rolled her eyes again, in a way that made Natasha vaguely proud for some reason, and strode up to the frazzled and incredibly mussed hero before sticking her hand out to shake. Scott responded automatically, smiling before he could think about it. “My name is Wanda Maximoff, or Scarlet Witch in the field. You may call me Wanda. Welcome to the Avengers.”

Her smile was genuine despite the pointed way she introduced herself, and Scott figured he should reciprocate. “I’m Scott Lang, and I adopted the Ant-Man alias from Hank Pym.” He froze for a moment. “Not sure if I was allowed to tell you guys that.”

“We already knew that,” Natasha said cryptically, with her signature slow smile. “We know everything we need to.”

Scott stared at her for a long time, smile frozen in his fear. Wanda patted him sympathetically. “She’s messing with you.” Scott looked at the younger fighter with obvious relief.

“Good to know.” He released Wanda’s hand when Steve stepped up. “I’m Steve Rogers, Capt-“

“Oh man, I know who you are. You’re Captain America!” Scott shook Steve’s hand enthusiastically, before realizing what he was doing. “I’m shaking your hand too long. Just… Captain America! And there’s Black Widow! Sorry, it’s just that my daughter is such a big fan of all of you.”

“Just your daughter?” Sam questioned gleefully, to which Scott sent him a pleading look.

“C’mon man, I’m meeting the Avengers.”

“I’m an Avenger too, and you just sassed me when we met,” Sam complained. “Why don’t I get hero worship?”

Scott just shrugged, much to Sam’s displeasure, before turning to shake hands with Natasha when she stepped forward. “Natasha Romanoff. Pleasure to meet you and have you on the team.”

“Likewise. I mean, I’m happy to be on your team,” Scott stumbled. Vision was the last to step up.

“I am Vision. I am not a human and also a member of this team.”

Scott was struck mute for a moment, that same dazed but still excited look on his face, as he struggled for words. He settled on “Wow, that’s really, really amazing,” and obviously restrained himself from staring at Vision’s… everything.

The group couldn’t help but be pleased at how genuine the awe sounded. It spoke favorably for Scott’s long-term place on the team. He also looked like he had a lot of questions, but was still recovering from the onslaught of introductions.

Sam figured he could help him out. “What do you say we let Scott clean up or temporarily take a break on doing… whatever it is he’s doing, and all get some food? We can talk then.” The group was more than happy to take Sam’s obvious cue to leave and get grub. Even Vision, who didn’t need to eat, trailed after the group.

Steve paused for one moment before following the others, taking the time to make eye contact with Scott and smile encouragingly. “It is good to finally meet you, Scott. I trust you’ll help us save a lot of lives.”

Scott nodded solemnly. “I plan on doing as much as I can.”

Steve obviously approved of the response and the man’s resolve and meandered away with a content expression. Sam leaned on the wall next to Scott and watched his face as he slowly processed the past little while. When it was clear it’d take him a moment, Sam turned his attention to the sad looking piles of metals and tech scattered across the floor. He had decided that the strange square microchip by his foot was once a part of the security system when the ex-con finally found his words again. “Oh god, I was so awkward.”

Sam almost laughed at the despair in Scott’s voice. “You weren’t near as bad as you think you were.”

Scott looked mournful. “You don’t get what it’s like to be me, Sam. I bet you were super chill when you met Captain America.”

Sam shrugged casually. “I guess I was.” When Scott’s face contorted worryingly, Sam hurried to comfort the guy. “But that was me, and you are you. Trust me, you’re doing fine. They’ve already welcomed you in, and I like you.” Scott did look a bit comforted by that and took a deep breath to further steel himself. The thing was, Sam wasn’t just saying whatever he needed to say get him to calm down. He did genuinely like the man, and wouldn’t deny that the grateful smile sent his way made him feel good about staying around to talk to Scott privately.

“I would appreciate if you explained what you were doing here,” Sam said with a significant look at the remains around them. The sheepish look was back as Scott took in the aftermath of his meddling. “It’s kinda hard to explain. Friday, what exactly should I say here..?”

In response the A.I. played back Tony’s earlier statement. “Feel free to try to get through the server’s defenses again, I want to see how well you do this time.”

Sam’s eyes widened, more than a little impressed. “Meaning you’ve gotten through them before?”

Scott waved a hand vaguely in the air, as if trying to brush off the accomplishment, before ignoring it completely in favor of pushing the debris closer to the wall. “The server is fine right now, and I can pick up where I left off later. Friday is watching everything anyways, right?”

“I suppose I should,” was Friday’s wry response. Scott and Sam shared a moment of amusement at the A.I. sarcasm before turning to head in the direction of the kitchen.

Scott was going to have to bond with his new team, so he may as well start over food.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is team training and bonding. Poor Scott is going to be reminded of high school in too many ways. Gym class sucks.


	4. Don't Fuck it Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poor Scott didn't even enjoy P.E. in high school, but here he is, in glorified gym class. He's honestly not sure if this experience has left him feeling more like a nerd sitting with the cool kids during 5th period lunch, or like he's being tutored by kids in detention to prepare for all his final exams again.

The founding members of the Avengers still remember the days where dinner consisted of Thor and Steve silently competing in who could eat more food before inevitably getting beaten by a hungry Bruce after a Hulk-out, all while Tony and Clint sniped at each other ( _mostly_ verbal sniping) and Natasha interjected insults directed at either the two bickering or the group at large without bothering to look up from where she was sharpening her knives. Though those days were gone, and despite the roster changes, dinner in the Avengers’ Household still managed to be a chaotic affair. Food duties revolved from person to person, and while Sam was pretty good and Wanda had a natural talent for cooking and a love of exploring a number of cultural cuisines, most of the team weren’t natural chefs. Rhodey was rarely around but was only really good at instant stuff, Tony was terrible and would burn the place down if he was even around to try to cook, Natasha had a few recipes perfected, but was surprisingly bad at most else, and Vision didn’t even eat, so the responsibility to cook often fell on Sam, who was really also the only normally socialized one in the bunch, or Wanda. Steve was generally discouraged from cooking for lunch or dinner due to his insistence that “everyone needs to eat healthily, and limit take-out food.”

(One memorable exchange entailed when Tony had popped in for dinner and Steve had insisted on cooking a vegan meal to prove a point.

“Stop trying to health food us all to death, we all know Loki will bring about our demises far before our time anyways. Jesus, why do you hate butter- stop trying to feed me broccoli, you monster.”

“You need to eat better, Tony. Some greens and protein would do you good.”

“I put kale in my smoothies!”)

An exception was made on Saturday mornings, since he was the only good cook who’d be awake enough to feed everyone, and man, were his blueberry pancakes magical.

Tony, Steve, Natasha, Sam, Rhodes, Wanda, and Vision all had a scheduled day of the week on which they chose the group’s dinner. Originally, just the five active members were going to choose, but Steve suggested making it an even seven, and surprisingly to the group, original members excepted, Tony was quick to agree to join in. When away on business, Rhodes had the others vote on what to do or asked Friday to order delivery from a place with a high rating on yelp. Vision didn’t have taste-buds or a preference, so on his days Wanda would cook, and when she didn’t feel like cooking, Friday would help research and find interesting things the group had yet to try, all per Vision’s request.

When Scott and Sam walked into the kitchen, the team had already set the table and were in the process of getting settled with their boxes of Chinese take-out (Every sensible Avenger liked Chinese food.) Sam went to take his usual place next to Steve and waved the newest member to sit in the open seat on his right. “Rhodes and Tony have seats whenever they show up, but these are our usual spots.”

“You’re free to sit wherever, it’s not a required set up,” Steve reminded Scott gently and Sam pointedly, (Scott wasn’t going to analyze how he managed that), but Scott had already sat next to Sam and didn’t want to change. (Oddly enough, the seat he was offered was the one he had been sitting in when eating alone.)

“No, this works! What is everyone eating?” Scott looked curiously at all the boxes, noting how there were more boxes than people scattered across the table. Wanda was the one to answer. “I was going to cook you a big home-cooked meal to welcome you your first day here, but we had a mission and I didn’t want to make something early and then ruin it reheating it.” She shuddered at the thought before she continued. “So today I had Friday order our usual dinner order from our favorite Chinese takeout place, and some extra dishes you might enjoy. We all share our orders-“

Steve once again jumped in to ostensibly make Scott more comfortable. “But you can keep your order to yourself, if you’d like! We weren’t sure what to get but Friday said you weren’t vegan or anything. "

After Scott once again assured Steve that he was quite happy to try different things and to share (sharing was a foregone conclusion with his last roommates), Wanda resumed where she left off. "Your welcome dinner will be on Friday! Vision has kindly given up his day for me to cook.”  
Before Scott could even formulate an apology, Natasha interjected, “As if Vision ever uses his own day. Wanda basically has two days of the week to decide what we eat.” The last part was directed at Scott, amusement clear in her voice.

“Does everyone have a day?”

“They do. Right now it goes me, Tony, Rhodey, Wanda, Natasha, Vision, and Sam,” Steve answered.

“Are Rhodey and Tony here often?”

“Rhodey tries to be here whenever he isn’t on a mission with the air force, while Tony has been popping up more often recently then when he first ‘retired’,” Natasha answered him this time, and Scott could hear the skeptical emphasis she put on retired. “Rhodey usually tells us ahead of time, if he can’t make it, what his choice is, and Tony leaves it a surprise.”

“How does Tony choose his restaurants when he’s not here?” Scott asked curiously.

“We have no idea, but he’s never missed a day.”

“I assumed Friday handled it?” Sam piped up.

Friday took that to be her cue to chime in. “I do place the orders themselves with the dining establishments, but the boss decides what location or type of food to order every week.”

Steve smiled quietly (which Scott hadn’t even realized was possible) when Friday said that before he sighed.

“Speaking of, let us eat while the food is still warm!” Wanda interjected, and the food was quickly distributed.

The conversation moved smoothly enough from there as Wanda and Vision began their mission debrief while Natasha and Sam asked Scott about his explorations around the compound.  
  
It wasn’t till someone mentioned flight that Scott’s attention was brought back to the meta-humans. “Wait, Wanda flies too?”

“In a manner of speaking,” Vision intoned.

Wanda rolled her eyes fondly at Vision before explaining. “My powers allow me to propel me upwards and over distances, similar to levitation or flight.”

“She can demonstrate tomorrow. You’ll have a training session dedicated to demonstrating your powers and helping you grow accustomed to our team,” Steve lightly explained.

“Yes, tomorrow’s try-outs will be interesting,” Sam solemnly informed him while Natasha came perilously close to leering. Scott looked to Steve to make what Sam was saying less alarming again, but Steve just gave him an encouraging smile.

Scott winced. He had expected he’d have to show off and impress them for his place on the team, but even with the battles under his belt, he was nervous.

While dinner wrapped up and Sam teased Scott about his volunteering to do the dishes while helping him dry, Natasha meandered over to where Steve was writing down what Wanda and Vision reported from their mission. (The serpent was unusual but apparently not magically or scientifically advanced. Probably a freak mutation? Tony already sent a high-altitude drone to monitor the region’s ocean.)

“I feel like we’re forgetting something we meant to ask him about,” Natasha whispered to Steve, but Steve just shrugged. “How important do you think it is if you forgot it?”

She nodded, before turning her attention back to where Wanda had imperiously taken over doing the dishes, despite Scott’s protests.

Dinner finished and the remains tidied up, Scott made to return to his rooms. He halted when Vision smooth voice quietly addressed him.

“If you’d like, Scott, I believe Sam and Natasha were going to watch a movie in the living room. The others will likely also be in the area, as Wanda and Steve often read in the communal rooms after a meal.”

Though his heart warmed a bit at the offer, he shook his head. “Thanks Vision, but I have to call my daughter before it gets too late. She has an early bedtime.”

Vision inclined his head slightly, and despite the short time they knew each other, Scott could tell the other hero approved of his answer.

It was only after Scott had bid everyone goodnight and finished his nightly rituals that he really paused to let the day sink in, sitting heavily on his bed while he did so. He responded amusedly to a few texts from his friends before typing in Maggie’s phone number. 

The phone was picked up on the third ring by his daughter, obviously recognizing the caller ID, and Scott felt his entire world get a little brighter at the shouted, “Daddy!”

He fell back on the bed and grinned. “Hey sweetheart. Guess who was right about the Avengers being nice?”

“Me? I told you they’d like you, Daddy!”

As he listened to his daughter chatter on the phone while sitting in his room in the Avengers compound, Scott figured that all in all, it was a pretty good day.

<><><><><><> 

Scott found himself waking up on his fourth day in the Avenger’s compound to the sound of knocking at his door.

He trudged out of the bed, only stopping to note the time, and opened the door to Sam, already dressed and looking annoyingly chipper. “It’s 7 am.”

Sam grinned at the obvious impatience in Scott’s tone. “Get used to it. If I look annoyingly awake, you’re going to hate how lively Cap is every morning. C’mon, get dressed. You’ve got a long day of training ahead of you! And bring your hero gear!”

<><><><><><> 

The gym was almost underwhelming the first time Scott explored it, but honestly, with the extent it had been hyped up in his head, anything would have been a disappointment. It was a lot like a traditional gym, with weights, punching bags, and what looked like a boxing ring, with a few more unique additions such as a climbing course of ledges, handholds, and ropes that snaked up from the floor and across the ceiling. Of course the gym, even traditionally styled, was a lot more incredible than Scott had ever gone to. But yeah, he expected holograms and robots.

When he stopped in the middle of the room, the others kept walking towards the door sent in the opposite wall. Seeing Scott had halted, Steve paused and gestured him further. “We’re using the second gym today.”

Scott jogged and caught them at the door, questions on his lips. “Yeah, I was in here, it’s just a massive empty room, right?”

Steve chuckled. “Gym on, full simulation.”

When the gym lit up at Steve’s command in brilliant blue and gold, Scott realized he was wrong to assume the gym didn’t have holograms.

“Steve Rogers recognized. Welcome Captain.” Friday’s voice came on over the intercom as the team meandered into the main room.

Steve paused at where an interface has appeared in the center. “I guess you hadn’t asked Friday about this room. This is the simulation gym, which was designed to be very flexible and easily altered to represent scenarios. We do a lot of team training in here.  For today, each team member came up with a training method, and then Natasha and I approved all the exercises. We often play games like dodgeball, capture the flag, laser tag-“

“All with complicated rules, stipulations, handicaps or weird teams,” Sam cut in.

“-all kinds of situations designed to force people to be creative and cooperate. We want you to use your abilities in new ways.” Steve continued smoothly.

“To be blunt, you're going to go through a few tests, so we can see how you fight and think,” Natasha finished.

“What, is a rope going to drop down from the ceiling for me to climb?” Scott cracked nervously.

For one long, horrifying moment, when Steve’s brows furrowed in confusion and Wanda just stared at him blankly, Scott feared they wouldn’t find him funny. Considering much of his charm relied on the general affection he garners through his sense of humor, he was suddenly terrified none of them would want to befriend him. But before he could truly start to panic, Sam laughed and nudged Scott with his shoulder. “Public school, yeah? It wasn’t until training for active duty that I appreciated some of those terrible exercises. Not that any of these guys would know what P.E. class was like.”

Scott almost exhaled with relief that Sam was raised as a normal human being.

Natasha spoke up again. “Before we begin, can you elaborate a bit more on your gear and abilities?”

Scott dropped his bag with his supplies down and considered how to explain. “Well, I have a suit designed by Hank Pym that allows me to change the distance between atoms. Basically, I shrink in size but increase in strength.”

Steve nodded supportively but Natasha gestured for him to continue. Scott pointed at himself confusedly.

“What else? Um, I guess I’m good with tech? I used to be a systems engineer and I have a degree in electrical engineering? I used to hack in my free time? Hope Van Dyne taught me some martial arts and I know how to hold my own in s street fight… I have some free-running and climbing experience?”

Steve nodded. “Anything else major?

Scott looked to Sam for confirmation, who shrugged. Scott shuffled. “I don't think so? Sorry, I can’t get into many of the specifics of the suit because Hank forbade it…”

"Really? Not even the side effects or the basic science?"

Scott shook his head. "Hank was very emphatic about it. He has trust issues."

“That’s disappointing, but we can discuss that later. Your first test today will help you warm up. Natasha?”

Scott looked around, suddenly aware he had lost sight of Natasha. He mercifully didn’t flinch too violently when she spoke from directly behind him.

“My exercise will test your concentration. You’ll be given several targets to observe, and have to keep up with them and notice all their changes.”

“That doesn’t seem too bad,” Scott said easily, turning to look at Natasha. He was actually quite observant of his surroundings, both from his cat burglar days and from having to watch his back in prison.

She smiled slowly. “Indeed.”

<><><><><><>

He really shouldn’t have underestimated Natasha’s test.

Her test had Scott in the center of a holographic crowd of people with three targets he had to locate, all three of whom he only had a few characteristics to identify them by. He had to watch who the targets talked to, where they went, and what slight things changed on their person during the duration of the exercise. The second round increased the difficulty by making half of the qualities he was given beforehand be behavioral traits he would have to wait and observe over time in the exercise. He was on the third installment of the test, and while during the first two rounds he did decently well, the third round had him have to do everything from beforehand, plus had him interact with one of the holograms in a conversation.

It was inordinately difficult, and Scott patted himself on the back for steering the conversation to his daughter, a subject he could talk about while half asleep or drugged. He had just watched the final subject disappear into a holographic coffee shop when the lights changed and the simulation came to an end.

“Report.”

“Subject 1 drank two coffees, spilled some on his sleeve, and tipped the waitress poorly. When he left he went out of his way to avoid an individual in the crowd who seemed to be around the same age of him. Probably an acquaintance from school? Subject 2 talked on her phone for near the entirety of the simulation, only stopping when the call was dropped.”

“How do you know the call dropped?”

“She looked confused but not angry, and was vaguely concerned. But when she called again, she resumed the conversation, so it must have been a temporary problem. When she was distracted by her phone, she almost stepped on someone’s dog. Subject 3 was watching a man in the square intently, eventually slipping through the crowd until she purposefully bumped into him while making it look like an accident. She stole his watch and phone, while simultaneously ingratiating herself to him by helping him gather his belongings. After the encounter, she avoided the local police, petted the dog subject 2 almost stepped on, and made her way into one of the stores.”

When no more information was incoming, Natasha nodded. “You did well. You definitely missed plenty of information, but that was one of the best first attempts we’ve had. You got only a couple details wrong. Nice job changing the conversation with subject 4 to a topic you’re so familiar with. Why didn’t you speculate on motivations or personal history for any of these subjects, like you tried to do the last two times?”

Scott shrugged. “Didn’t get as good a grasp on them this time.”

“Trust your instincts more, they seem sharp.”

Scott beamed, seeing the praise from Natasha for the victory it was. “Thanks.”

“That’s the end of Natasha’s trial. You can ask for more of our thoughts on all of these tests later, but for now we’re going to move on. Rhodey is currently doing something covert and important, but he requested we make his apologies and wish you the best of luck on the obstacle course,” Steve pleasantly explained.

“Obstacle course?”

<><><><><> 

Rhodey’s challenge turned out to be both blessedly straightforward and completely exhausting. “I guess this test is typical of a military man, with their love of these courses,” Scott called out from his tenuous place clutching the bars on the ceiling. Turned out the climbing course from the other gym had more components that were usually hidden when not in use. He had scaled a rock-climbing wall, climbed ropes (Sam had laughed when Scott pointed at the rope that dropped from the ceiling and smugly informed him he “totally called it,”), dodged projectiles, gone across the rafters, and had generally scaled a number of other intimidating barriers once already while in the suit, and was currently trying it without the suit.

“You definitely have to take different approaches with and without your gear,” Steve mused from the ground. "A lot less leaping from things." Wanda was currently spotting him in case he fell, and Sam was sitting at the top of a rock wall in a show of moral support.

“You really want to see my approach to _all_ these tests both in my suit and out?” Scott questioned concernedly, stifling a curse when his right hand almost slipped.

“Not every test, but on some of these tests we want to check your general mental or physical preparedness. Being an Avenger is about more than fancy tech and superpowers,” Steve explained with the patience of someone used to and passionate about the subject.

“The good captain is quite right, Scott. Though if you’re concerned, you will likely have your gear on many of your missions," Vision parroted.

Scott grunted to acknowledge the point, and almost laughed delightedly when he reached one of the platforms high above the ground. Then the tightrope appeared and he vaguely wanted to cry.

“This reminds me of some TV show where people fall off logs while trying to finish a course as fast as possible,” Scott commented absently while sizing up his next obstacle.

“I love American Ninja Warrior!” Wanda exclaimed brightly before blushing bright red when the rest of the team stared at her with varying expressions of amused surprise.

When Scott finally returned to solid ground he was rewarded with a water bottle and a break. “Not bad, Scott!  When faced with obstacles you may not have had the strength, balance, or skill to easily pass, you managed to get by with powers or with good old-fashioned ingenuity. You were a bit slow, but these were only your first attempts. We can work on all of that,” Steve assured him cheerfully.

“I’m not sure whether to be disappointed that this is apparently a regular thing you all do, or to be pleased by your comments,” Scott admitted wryly.

“Why not both?” Vision inquired, sincerely curious.

Before they could be side-tracked by Scott struggling to explain his emotional state to Vision. Natasha cut in. “You’re ready for the next test.”

“So now it’s Sam’s turn, right?” Scott turned to where the afore-mentioned hero stood, and was vaguely unnerved by his smirk. He and Natasha were surely bad influences on each other. “Wait, what’s your task?”

<><><><><><><> 

“I still can’t believe this sport spread from the colleges to the elementary schools,” Steve muttered even as he flung a ball terrifyingly fast at Wanda. The ball made a satisfying smack as it hit Wanda square in the face, as she had been distracted in her feeding Natasha ammunition.

Sam practically giggled from where he had been avoiding Vision’s projectiles in the sky. “This game is so much better than I remembered.”

“Yeah, I’m sure Dodgeball would be more fun if you could fly,” Scott muttered under his breath as his hefted balls substantially bigger than him up to pelt at Natasha. It went against every instinct in his body to try to attack Natasha, who seemed like she could see his every move even when he shrank, but he wasn’t going to delude himself by thinking he could hit Sam, who was flying considerably higher than Scott could accurately aim. Wanda, on the other hand, had been doing shorts flights before she returned to the ground to get Sam more balls. She was only allowed to move projectiles with her telekinesis once they had already hit the ground on her side, and then she could move them once she was within 6 feet. She was currently on the sidelines, as, like Vision, she had been eliminated.

Vision, who tended to go insubstantial anytime he wasn’t retrieving a ball to quickly fling or pass on, was hard to hit, but Natasha had predicted his movements, scarily enough. Steve had been carefully watching her since then, while avoiding Sam’s projectiles with enviable ease. (Natasha was frighteningly accurate, Steve had great speed, Wanda could pull off throws at any distance, and Sam was an opportunist. Vision didn’t care much for the game.)

Scott waited for Steve to wind up for another throw before he threw his ball, but he didn’t account for Natasha’s ability to dodge Steve’s ball. Scott stared at her with dismay as she smirked directly at him and caught his throw. He grew back in size and slumped off to the sidelines, meeting Steve’s eyes, who gave him a sympathetic look before he flipped to avoid a throw from Sam. After another moment, Steve got Sam on the leg with a particularly nice throw, though Natasha had gotten Wanda back in. Scott had just resigned himself to sitting out the last of the game (which had been going on a while now,) when Steve neatly tossed a ball above Natasha to tag Scott back in. Quick as a wink, Scott shrunk and joined up. Natasha had yet to be hit out yet, so Steve was working on tagging her while Scott resumed avoiding Natasha and aiming at Wanda. _She really is observant,_ Scott mused. _There was never any doubt, but it still smarts that she sees me-_ Scott paused momentarily in his ready-to-throw pose with the ball over his head, when realization dawned. “I can’t see past the dodgeballs when I shrink.” _You moron, she notices you because it takes you a second to aim after you pick the balls up to throw them. You only think she knew beforehand because you can’t see her watch you while you lift the balls. You have to surprise her somehow._ A plan had just formed in his mind when Scott realized, with growing horror, that Steve had taken his eyes off of Natasha to tag Wanda when she dropped her guard. Natasha noticed. He knew he wouldn’t reach Steve in time to take the hit for him, so he figured he could follow his hunch and hide behind a ball while Natasha wasn’t looking. He chose one with another ball directly next to it, according to plan. He heard the smack and knew Steve had been hit.

There was an irritated noise from Steve, and a cheer from Wanda and Sam, but when the players realized Scott was hidden and it was a one-on-one, they were all silent. Scott used the reflective glasses and metals around the room to get a rough idea of where Natasha was, and watched Wanda to further discern her location, because while the others were watching for Scott to appear, Wanda was watching Natasha prowl on the other side. He took a deep breath and flung one ball without waiting to see to aim, and kicked the ball next to him hardly a moment later, in an attempt to confuse. Natasha zeroed in on him the moment the balls went flying, but he was closer than she expected and had to make a split decision on which ball to dodge. She dodged the one he had kicked, which was an illegal shot in the game anyways, but not the one he threw, much to Scott’s delight. But before she was eliminated she flung a ball in retaliation that he was unable to avoid.

Scott grew after he took the hit. “Did I get her?!”

Natasha looked amused. “You did. But I also hit you. It’s a tie.”

Scott couldn’t help the delighted grin and looked to where Steve was cheering, Vision was clapping politely, and Wanda and Sam pretended to be upset.

“He only tied,” Wanda pouted, but Sam piped up a moment later. “We all know that it’s rare for Natasha to get hit, so it’s still a victory for him. “

Steve laughed. “Hey, a draw is better than a loss.

“Maybe Sam’s right, dodgeball isn’t so bad.”

Even Natasha laughed out loud.

<><><><><><><><><><> 

 “Your opponent has been programmed to slightly emulate various forms of martial arts, with an emphasis on practical military forms. It may try to shit you with modified repulsor tech eventually. Square up with it, and get ready to fight!”

Steve’s challenge was another of the refreshingly straightforward ones. Scott was going to fight one of the training bots, which flew out from another of those hidden compartments. (All these nooks and crannies made Scott itch to explore.) He’d have three bouts against the robot.

“What should I be expecting with these? What are their specs and capabilities?”

“That’s not how facing villains works,” Sam informed Scott cheerfully.

Steve nodded. “All I’ll say is that you shouldn’t worry about holding back on learning robots. Start the fight!”

“Wait, _learning_ robots _?“_ The punch that sent Scott flying back really shouldn’t have been a surprise, at this point in the day. Scott would admit that his first bout with the robot was won mostly by his confusing the robot with the powers it had never seen before. He couldn’t exactly startle the robot as effectively the second time, and he almost lost that round, but won after sneaking under some plating and ripping out a chip. Third bout he found a weak spot in the robot and snapped several obvious key connections in the suit from the beginning, before going large to break the robot at all its weakened sections.

When the robot was sparking on the ground, Scott swayed a bit and gustily exhaled. “Man, I hate to destroy nice tech.”

“But you do it so well,” Wanda said lightly from the sidelines.

“Nicely done, Scott.” Steve strode up. “I was worried for a bit during that second bout, but you obviously retreated a bit to mentally regroup. Taking a step back is often the best course of action if you’re making obvious mistakes while battling a specific opponent or if you’re stuck on a specific problem.”

Scott made some noise resembling assent, but was still regaining his breath.

Steve let that slide to continue. “Once you’ve recovered a bit, you’ll tackle Vision’s test.”

Scott sat heavily on the ground, releasing the latch on his helmet to get a bit more air. “Man, those robots don’t mess around.”

Natasha looked at him quizzically. “You know, you’re talking all of these tests in stride.”

Scott chuckled. “I think I’m used to this stuff by now. Hank and Hope Pym put me through all kinds of training and tests to get me ready to use the suit. So by now I almost expect this.”

“I wonder what that says about your life,” Wanda pondered.

“What does that say about your own lives?” Scott countered.

“They’re very interesting?” Sam responded smoothly.

Not much you can say to refute that.

 <><><><>

“So… Your test is also a lunch break?” Scott asked cautiously.

Vision nodded politely. “You’ve worked quite hard today. We’ll all partake in a meal as I ask you a few questions.”

Scott squinted suspiciously at the food before taking a tentative bite of his sub sandwich. When he didn’t immediately get sick, he shrugged and continued, suddenly ravenous. “Ask away.”

“Why do you want to be an Avenger?”

Scott noticed then that the others were settled back in their chairs, obviously content to sit back and observe. _So only Vision is asking questions for a while._

“Sam invited me and made it seem like you guys could use an extra hand. Your methods aren’t always elegant, but I definitely appreciate all you’ve done.”

“All the things the Avengers have done?”

“You know, the trying to help people parts. I respect that. If I can help, I definitely want to. Besides, and maybe most importantly, my daughter loves you guys.”

“And your daughter’s opinion is the most important factor?” Vision had this manner of speaking that was somehow both intimidatingly intense yet completely relaxed. Very measured yet a bit jarring.

“You want me to be honest?”

When Vision nodded, Scott leaned forward, suddenly intense. “She’s always the most important to me.”

Vision tilted his head, considering that information as the group ate.

“Have you ever been close to death?”

 Scott swallowed and halted, mildly uncomfortable. “I’m not sure.” When Vision showed no inclination to ask Scott to clarify but obviously expected more, Scott continued haltingly. “There’s... This regulator on the suit? And if you turn it off… You risk shrinking so small that reality as you know it... ceases to exist for you. I turned it off when fighting Darren Cross and… I don’t think I almost died, but at the same time it was like I stopped being aware of my life.”

The gym was completely silent, and Scott tried a disaffected shrug that didn’t quite achieve casual. “I guess I also almost died a lot while fighting Cross.”

Vision was still staring at him with those piercing eyes. “You did that for your daughter.”

Scott tried that shrug again. “Yeah.”

Vision nodded solemnly. “You originally committed a crime because you felt those operating within the law were doing things that were unjust.”

“I don’t know if my thought process was that noble. It just felt wrong, and no one else seemed to care when I pointed it out.” (Scott struggled to explain his motivations to Maggie after it all went down. How could he jeopardize his family? After a few months in prison, Scott eventually decided that it was the thought of his parents opening an envelope to find out all their savings had disappeared that motivated him. That and rage when he realized his bosses expected him never to blow the whistle on them.)

Vision just smiled softly. “That’s the end of my test, then. Natasha? Steve?”

“No complaints here,” Steve said, evidently pleased. Natasha inclined her head to agree, and the conversation around the table started up smoothly after that. Scott let the chatter flow over him until his internal turmoil at the memories that had resurfaced had quieted and he could enjoy his lunch.

<><><><><><><><><><> 

“Capture the flag?” Scott asked, bafflement coloring his voice.

“I love this game,” Wanda said lightly.

“It’s really a bastardization of the game. We sometimes play actual versions of the game, but in this one we’re just in two teams and can clearly see the other team’s flag from across the room,” Sam explained sardonically.

Wanda lightly pushed him telekinetically while grinning. “I didn’t insult your test, lay off mine.”

”So it’s a free-for-all? What are the teams?” Scott questioned.

 “You, Natasha, and Wanda will be the Red Team. Sam, Vision, and I are the Blue Team,” Steve clarified.

Scott looked from his uniform to Natasha’s bright hair and then to the famed Scarlett Witch. “Fitting names.”

“Basic rules, you need to get the other team’s flag back to your base, avoid getting immobilized, don’t play too dirty, and… Try to surprise us.” Steve was obviously a fan of the game himself, and even Sam and Natasha seemed unable to help their excitement.

“That’s all the rules there are?” Scott questioned.

Wanda smirked. “That’s all we need.”

The game was unsurprisingly chaotic. Scott only had time to consider that the test would be both more fun and more stressful with more people participating when he had to narrowly avoid Steve’s shield. The Captain sharply called out, “focus” before returning to his terrifying sparring with Natasha.

_Is there a way I can get the flag without them noticing from all the way over here? Getting past Vision is hard enough, I need a substantial distraction-_

_Oh yeah. I can talk to ants. How’d I forget that?_

Rather than muse on how he made that major oversight any longer, Scott quickly summoned his ants, and a flood of them rapidly appeared in the gym from every crack in the room.

“So that’s what we forgot to ask Scott about,” Natasha said musingly before snagging one of the ropes left over from Rhodey’s challenge and swinging out of the way of the onslaught.

The creatures managed to throw Steve off momentarily, while a now distracted Sam was knocked over by Wanda. Scott was relying on Vision not being able to see exactly where his shrunken self was as he grabbed an ant to fly him up to the other team’s flag. He reached the flag, dragging it up with difficulty. Vision sharply refocused on him, a beam of light coming at him. Steve snapped back to his normal size since his steed couldn’t handle the extra weight of the flag, and he dodged out of the way before starting to sprint towards base. Wanda has started flinging the bullet ants at Sam and Steve, and even the super soldier was doing his damnedest to avoid those after he felt one of them bite. Natasha managed to nail Vision with an electric shock of some kind right when he almost snagged Scott, and Scott narrowly managed to throw the flag to the ex-spy. She passed it on to Wanda in order to face Steve on headfirst, and the youngest member of the group almost made it to the base when Sam dropped out of the sky and snagged the flag. Scott had shrunk as soon as he had passed off the flag, and once again rode one of the flying ants up, leaping up onto Sam’s wings. This time though, instead of breaking the wings like in their last duel, Scot simply increased in size, drastically changing the weight distribution of the wings and startling Sam enough to knock the flag down onto the Red Team’s base.

Once the dust had settled, there was silence before Wanda’s slightly panicked giggles mixed with Scott’s helpless laughter.

“I think you forgot to mention, “talks to insects” earlier,” Steve noted dryly, and Scott winced. “I genuinely don’t know how I forgot I could do that.”

“Your superhero alias is Ant-Man and yet we all managed to forget your connection to the insects,” Vision commented, sounding truly baffled by this fact.

“Sorry guys… Do I still pass the test?”

Wanda strode up to him and patted his shoulder. “With flying colors, I’d say. Or flying ants.”

“You’re just saying that because your team won,” Sam groused, but he was smiling too.

Thoroughly exhausted now, Scott turned to Steve, who was looking off at the door expectantly. “Is that the last test today?” Steve almost seemed startled when Scott spoke, but met his eyes and chuckled. “Well, not exactly. We had another person coming-“

Before Steve could finish, the skylight opened and Tony dropped down, landing dramatically.

“There he is, late as usual,” Steve commented dryly. Scott almost expected him to frustrated, but if anything Steve seemed amused, though resigned.

Iron Man’s faceplate popped up. “Am I late?”

“Have you ever been on time?” Sam piped up.

Tony pointed a finger at Sam threateningly. “Don’t sass me. I make your gear.”

Steve spoke up quickly to prevent the bickering that would inevitably distract everyone. “Wanda’s challenge just finished.”

Tony clapped his hands together, the metal clanging. “Perfect. Then I’m right on time, _Sam.”_

“You missed quite the spectacle,” Vision remarked.

“I can always watch it later. How’d he do on everything?”

“He has passed each test according to our conditions for victory.” Vision answered solemnly.

“He even tagged Natasha out in dodgeball,” Wanda added.

“Well, that is promising news!” Tony grinned.

“Like you didn’t know the results already,” Natasha said sardonically.

“Friday does like to gossip,” Tony breezily waved off the comment.

“Call it whatever you like, boss. I can stop updating you, if your previous instructions to update you after each test no longer apply,” Friday smoothly jumped in.

“Why are all of my inventions insubordinate?” Tony whined, but he looked entertained more than anything. Scott was momentarily awed that Tony would spend the time keeping up with his results.

“Tony, your test?” Steve still had that resignedly amused expression from earlier as he refocused the group. (Scott had a feeling he had to do that a lot.)

“Yeah, yeah, Cap, I’m on it. So most of these squatters lack a real scientific background, unless they themselves were the science, so I tried to cram some general info into their heads a while back. Basic computer science, bomb handling, some mechanical engineering and the gist of how their gear works, what a villain’s evil death beam probably does, all that stuff. Actually, quick question, I know you’re already an engineer, but how’s your chemistry and biology?”

Scott shrugged. “My chemistry background is pretty solid, Hank Pym made sure of that, and my biology skills are passable? I'm no Bruce Banner, that's for sure.”

Tony accepted this information thoughtfully. “Anyways, my test for you is a hack simulation.”

Scott brightened. _Finally, a test I’ll ace._

But before Scott could celebrate, Tony’s grin turned manic. “And in our lives, we have to perform under extreme pressure.”

<><><><><><><><><><> 

“Are those REAL explosions?!” Scott almost shrieked as loud booms resounded and smoke billowed through the gym.

“I don’t know, but- _fuck-_ don’t get in the way of them!” Sam was wheeling around perilously above Scott, while Wanda stayed close on Scott’s heels. The two of them were Scott’s only backup on his test because Natasha had experience with the sim, Steve wanted to observe the session with Tony, and not even Vision would argue his abilities bordered on cheating at times.

Scott turned his head to look at Wanda. “Can you contain those explosions at all?”

“I can try! But we’re still working on vapors and smokes, and this is much higher velocity-“

“Just go for it! I believe in you” Scott cut her off urgently. She nodded solemnly. Wanda had a determined look on her face as she slowed down slightly to better focus on protecting them from falling debris and smog.

“Up ahead! I see the server!” Sam called before he swept down to carry Scott the last few yards forward.

As soon as they reached the console, Scott began frantically checking for ports. He paused a moment before he squatted down. “I really should have expected that I would have to shrink down to reach the center.”

Sam nudged him forward. “Well, go for it. Wanda and I’ll guard out here. I think they added a bunch of minions to attack us.”

Scott nodded sharply before he shrunk down and clambered through the various protective layers of the simulation’s central server. _I don’t even know how the fuck they MADE all of this stuff so fast._ He had just reached a data entry point when he heard the sounds of a battle start outside. Scott just cracked his knuckles and went to work.

“This is ridiculous, he has a high-tech suit and an A.I. to help him in the field!” Scott snarled, even as he was quickly unraveling wires and reading through the complex source code. Hacking was really not a process that should be rushed.

“You have a high tech suit too,” Sam answered unhelpfully over the comms as he and Wanda fought some sort of goon squad.

“Not quite the same thing, Sam!” But Scott focused back in on his task, proud that his hands weren’t shaking. He was almost on to something. _There’s some sort of protective firewall, but that relies on this portion of code here... If I disrupt the loop… Then I could get it to resort to back-up generators… Disabling that…_

“HA!” Scott couldn’t helped the triumphant laugh as he broke the firewalls and took his first look at the main coding. His face paled as he processed it.

“Is that good news, Scott?” Wanda questioned hopefully.

“Well…” Scott winced. The coding had several kill switches to the server programmed in, and the whole system seemed to have been set to self-destruct. After another moment spent flicking through the code, Scott decided he was incredibly glad he had brought some of his ants to wait in the server with him in case he needed them. He didn’t have the time to pick carefully through, nor did he have any programs with him he could use, so he figured he could just mess up the hardware. He turned away from the screen and instead started digging through the wires around him, locating and carefully checking the circuit boards.

“Scott?” Now Sam was checking in, concerned by the silence.

“One second, I think I’ve got something…” Scott motioned for one of his ants to connect a couple circuits on the side, then severing a separate cord’s connection. He typed a few last commands in, the system reacting and processing the new inputs before he destroyed one of the circuits needed for a generator and watched as the system malfunctioned. “There we go,” Scott said proudly, and scrambled out of the system, his faithful ants hot on his heels.

Sam and Wanda had just finished taking care of the opponents outside, and were looking around curiously at where all the ‘explosions’ had stopped going off. Scott grew directly next to them, startling them both.

“So there was a self-destruct sequence I had to disable.”

Sam recovered first and started laughing. Wanda chuckled. “That explains the bombs.”

The lights in the gym went back on and Tony took of his sunglasses to meet Scott’s eyes. “I always knew you’d be an asset.”

“Nonono, you are not taking credit for him, I brought him around,” Sam sharply asserted while Scott beamed.

Tony waved a dismissive hand. “Team effort.”

“It was not, I was the one who convinced him! Scott, tell him.”

Scott pretended to consider that. “Technically Cassie convinced me. And maybe Friday.”

“I’m quite pleased I assisted in your decision to join us,” Friday eagerly piped up.

Sam gaped at Scott and faux staggered to Natasha, who easily avoided his attempt to lean on her with a smirk. Steve stepped up instead, laughing as Sam covered his face dramatically. “After all I did for him… He turns on me.”

“You think that’s bad, create an AI and watch as she’s disloyal to you,” Tony whined.

Vision, calm as usual, addressed Steve over the ruckus. “Does that conclude today’s tests?”

“It does. Are there any complaints or reasons for me not to accept Scott Lang as a member?”

The team all around made various dissenting noises, and ignored Sam playfully raising a hand before lowering it and laughing at Scott’s horrified expression. The team was clearly in agreement.

“Then it’s official. You’re an Avenger. We’ll have a welcome party later in the month, when you’re settled.”

Scott gaped at them all, barely able to handle what had just occurred. “Just like that? No weird contracts, no initiation, no cultish rituals?”

Steve shot Sam an incredibly disapproving look when he heard that.

“Hey, I did not tell him about any sort of cultish anything, that is not my fault,” he protested.

“No, that was my friends at home and my paranoia born from life experience. Dave has signed awful contracts on accident, Luis and I went through several prison initiations, and really, Kurt’s stories about cults and Russia are terrifying,” Scott explained.

Natasha let out a sharp bark laughter at that, surprising the room with her mirth. “Of course the Russian told you that. I was about to inform you that there would definitely be a terrifying initiation.”

Wanda giggled. “I could whip up something resembling a cultish ritual, I’m sure.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I’m good,” Scott said quickly.

Tony pulled a tablet seemingly out of thin air and tapped at a few things. “You will have a few forms to sign and some other boring bureaucratic stuff to do, but I’m already emailing that over and most of its filled out already with what you, your records, and Friday provided. I'll send your info to PR too."

Sam swung an arm around Scott’s shoulders before steering him up the stairs. “Just ‘cause the chief has already agreed to make you a member doesn’t mean you get out of our traditions. Like Tasha said, we do have initiations. One being getting your ass kicked at poker by the lovely lady in question.”

“As much fun as that sounds, I’ll politely decline.”

“What part of this aren’t you understanding? You don’t get to decline. Back me up here, Steve.”

Scott twisted around to meet Steve’s eyes, the team trailing after him and Sam up the stairs.

Their fearless leader grinned and nodded. “You can’t avoid some traditions.”

Tony piped up from next to Vision. “She may be terrifying, but the poker is still fun.”

“And there’s ice cream,” Wanda added delightedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! I can still say that, right? It’s only- *checks calendar* holy shit, it’s July? Um.  
> Yeah, I was hoping to update this by Christmas and then to get a second chapter up on New Year’s Day. But winter break was frantic, then a new semester started, which kicked my ass, then I was sick during Spring Break, then it was finals, and then I was visiting family in Europe… Yeah, life is a mess.  
> Better a late update than permanent hiatus?  
> Oh, and definitely go see Spiderman Homecoming, for it revived my spirit and provided plenty of ideas for later chapters! Not to mention that I have a secret weakness for Superfamily Stony things, so. Hope springs eternal.  
> Thanks again to everyone who commented, followed, bookmarked, or gave me kudos! You all keep me going!  
> The next chapter should be up much faster, seeing as it's going to be about Lagos and is already mostly typed up for me.  
> Beta'd by dontcallmeking again, though if there is a typo, it is undoubtedly my fault.


	5. Lagos Battle Remix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Scott survived his first full day around the Avengers, he is beginning to wonder if breakfast foods are cursed for him, since he can't seem to get through a single breakfast without something shocking happening. On a lighter note, Lagos seems like an interesting place! It's a shame the team will be too busy breaking bones to really enjoy the local culture.  
> Yeah, Hydra really sucks.

“Have a good day at school, kiddo.”

“Thanks Daddy! Have a good day at work with the Avengers! Bye!”

“Thanks Peanut. Talk to you later.”

Scott hung up, genuinely content for the first time in a while. He had woken up a little while ago, internal clock set so that he would wake up in time to talk to Cassie before she went to school each day. He was almost surprised he didn’t oversleep, considering how exhausted he was when he finally went to bed last night. He dragged himself up and set about his morning routine. While he got dressed, he thought back to the previous night’s poker game.

_“Call.”_

_It was only Scott and Tasha left in the current round of the game, and the pot was intimidatingly large. Scott was informed that they apparently changed what was put in the pot according to who was playing, often preferring things like favors or secrets. (Playing with money lost all meaning when Tony was around, especially when one considers that the Avengers budget and paycheck was primarily supplied by Stark Industries.)_

_Vision, (who apparently preferred to be dealer), signaled that Natasha should go ahead and show her cards._

_“I don’t know if I should congratulate you on a decent poker face, or mock you for how obvious your one tell is.” Tasha sardonically drawled while elegantly revealing a truly stunning hand. There were impressed noises from the spectators around the table though they went silent when Vision turned his attention to Scott._

_Scott just shrugged, to the crowd’s surprise. “Maybe neither.” Then with a flourish Scott displayed HIS winning hand._

_Both Wanda and Steve audibly gasped, Tony and Sam started laughing, and even Vision looked comically surprised. Tasha stared at Scott’s hand, then at him, then back to his cards before gruffly snapping, “Explain.”_

_Scott rubbed the back of his neck, smiling self-consciously. “I played a lot of poker in prison. The best players knew they were the best players, and got used to winning and would begin to expect it. If you take advantage of that and let them find ‘easy’ tells… ”_

_Scott trailed off, apparently realizing what he was saying to Tasha’s face. He stumbled a bit as he hurried to amend his statement. “I’m sure if you were expecting me to be better at the game, you’d have crushed me…” But her lips simply twitched into a smile. “How did you get out of a beating? Cause those winners are usually sore losers.”_

_Scott smiled gratefully, relieved at Natasha’s graceful acceptance of her loss. “I’m very harmless looking, it may have saved my life.”_

_“There is no way you got out of getting beat up because you look harmless,” Sam’s jumped in amusedly._

_Scott shrugged. “I like to think my many charms have come in handy. Also! Luis has a_ great _right hook.”_

He trotted downstairs to fund that Steve, Sam and Vision had already gathered. “Morning.”

“Morning, Tic-Tac,” Sam smiled sleepily, though still warmly.

“Hi Scott. Did you sleep well?” Steve greeted the newest member as he started scrounging for his usual breakfast. (When he wasn’t missing his family too strongly, he leaned towards waffles. Then again, that could also be a sign of him missing his other family.)

“Really heavily. You guys know how to wear a guy out.”

“This group tends to have a tiring schedule, it’s true,” Vision agreed.

“Do you all eat together in the mornings?” Scott asked, taking his seat at the table, breakfast now prepared.

 “Not necessarily? Only dinner is a required team meal. But with the way our schedules often align, and with missions… Besides, we’re still getting to know you,” Sam explained, sipping his coffee as he spoke.

“Wanda is usually the last to come in for breakfast. She’s not a morning person,” Steve added.

 “So if Wanda sleeps in, where’s Natasha?” Scott had a hard time imagining the woman sleeping in.

“She tends to come in after handling her morning errands,” Natasha said smoothly, entering the room. The group greeted the spy who smiled before grabbing a bowl and some cereal. Scott barely hid his smile when he realized Friday had been right and she ate Rice Krispies.

“And Tony?”

This time Friday explained. “Mr. Stark had an emergency work call and left last night, shortly after the party has broken up. He asked me to pass on his apologies and congratulations once more.”

Scott goggled at the celling. “Didn’t we play till after 2 am?”

“Approximately.”

Steve met Scott’s baffled gaze sympathetically. “Yeah, he has to travel a lot.”

Just then Wanda lumbered into the room, her usual oversized sweater over leggings. She yawned while she waved at the group assembled around the table. “You’re up earlier than usual,” Vision commented to Wanda, who pat his shoulder absently as she passed towards the teapot. “Dream woke me up.” Vision looked like he wanted to ask more questions, but was distracted by Sam laughing at some reference Natasha made to the previous night.

“Do you always have late nights like last night?” Scott asked curiously, passing the milk to Steve, who was eating oatmeal.

The team leader chuckled. “Probably more often than we should. But no.”

“Don’t listen to him, our late nights are awesome,” Wanda protested sleepily as she clutched a mug of tea Vision prepared for her and picked at her toast. Steve nudged her with his shoulder. “Of course the night owl would say that.”

“We don’t always play poker, or games in general,” Sam continued.

Natasha smirked. “This lot can only take losing so much before they start to lose their tempers.”

Sam made a face at Natasha, who smiled prettily at him with an air of innocence no one who knew her would buy.

“We do have official movie nights,” Vision said helpfully. “AS you saw last night, they will often bet with their rights to pick the movie.”

“A leftover tradition from the original team,” Natasha added, a touch of wistfulness to her voice that only Steve caught, though Scott noticed when the two made eye contact and shared a melancholy smile.

“How do you bet with that?”

“You just offer your next choice for movie night. We usually have an order in place, but it shifts,” Sam explained while getting a refill of his water.

“Friday keeps the calendar for us. Wanda is next, and apparently has a movie already planned, but you get the pick after her, as the next newest member,” Steve finished.

Scott grinned. “I already know my movie night pick.”

“Oh?” Wanda prompted, but Scott just winked at her.

The conversation had just shifted to last week’s movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey, a pick by Vision, who apparently didn’t see why so many people found his choice hilarious, as he chose it out of fondness for Kubrick, when Friday suddenly interrupted the conversation. “I have a priority 1 message from Mr. Stark, regarding mission name: Pirate. “

Scott paused confusedly. “Pirate?”

“Cause his name is Crossbones,” Sam explained. When Scott just stared at him, Sam tried to hide his chuckles. “Tony thinks he’s really funny.”

“Go ahead, Friday,” Steve ordered firmly.

Friday brought up a hologram in the middle of the table. “We have discovered intel that would suggest Crossbones’s next target is this police station in Lagos.” The station mentioned popped up, and Steve promptly started skimming through the data provided. He started and looked to the ceiling to address Friday. (Scott was somewhat gratified that he wasn’t the only one to look up to do that.) “This says the attack will be today, after 5 pm, West Africa Time.

Natasha looked thoughtful. “Late enough that the employees would be headed home for the day, and a peak time for traffic.”

Steve nodded, acknowledging the assessment. “Friday, what time is that here?”

“12 am, Eastern Time Zone.”

The team turned as one to where a clock was blinking 8:30 am, and then back to Steve. He looked grim. “How long does it take the quinjet to reach Lagos?”

“Approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes.”

There was a beat as that sunk in, and Steve shot to his feet. “Team, grab your gear to meet in the Quinjet in fifteen minutes. I’ll brief you all during the flight. Natasha, Wanda, you’ll be wearing passable civilian clothes, Sam, go ahead and get in full gear. Bring Redwing. I’ll be in uniform.” The group accepted the orders and went to leave, breakfast now forgotten.

When Vision made to phase through the wall, Natasha stopped him with a hand. “Wait, if this is a diversion, we should have a few heroes in the country. Tony and Rhodey are both in state, but maybe Vision should stay too.”

Vision looked to Steve for confirmation, who considered the point, before nodding. “That fits Hydra’s M.O. Alright, Vision, you stay stateside. We don’t want to all be three hours away. Go check the quinjet to make sure it’s prepared for us.”

Vision disappeared through the walls to follow orders, and Sam went out the door, dishes in the sink.

“I’m coming, right?” Scott said, hovering awkwardly near the door as Wanda passed by.

Steve paused momentarily, as if he hadn’t quite considered Scott’s job yet. “You’re still pretty new to the team, you sure you’re ready?” When Scott faltered, a bit disappointed that Steve didn’t trust his qualifications, Steve quickly continued. “This is no statement against you, it’s just concern over knowing each other’s methods and style.”

“I went through all that training yesterday. Besides, I’ve handled my share of bullies,” Scott pulled up his most confident grin to assure him, though Steve still seemed tentative.

“I’m still technically in training too,” Wanda pointed out impatiently, half out of the door.

“Just let the man come!” Sam yelled, already down the hall.

Natasha patted Steve on the back as she went to grab her own stuff. “He did do quite well in dodgeball.”

Steve’s struggled to hide his smile. “Alright then, you’re up, Ant-Man. Get all your gear.”

<><><><>

If he hadn’t been focused intently on catching up with all the backstory to this ‘Crossbones’ guy, Scott had no doubt he be geeking out over the beauty that was the Avengers’ Quinjet. But as it was, he was catching up on a few months of action since the whole helicarrier debacle. (Steve was pleasantly surprised when Scott admitted he had already gone through a lot of the files from Natasha’s info dump onto the internet, so he was partially aware of Hydra and how it had infiltrated SHIELD. He had liked to hack into the internet servers while in prison, and his habits of digging through the web didn’t stop after he got out.)

With all the information and instructions they were given, the time it took to get to Lagos passed pretty quickly.

“Alright, Wanda and Natasha, you'll stake out the cafe across the street from the station. I’ll be in the apartment building on the other side. Sam, watch from the rooftops. Scott…”

“I can shrink and wait at the station?” Scott offered, but Steve shook his head. “Honestly, I agree with what Tasha said earlier, and am not yet sold on the station actually being his target. Instead, you'll stay on the roof with Sam. He can drop you off where you’re needed when that becomes clear."

They landed the jet a bit out of the city, and trekked in, Wanda and Sam flying parts of the way while Steve and Natasha rode her motorcycle. (Scott had gone ahead and joined Sam already.)

Wanda went back to walking and Steve hopped off the motorcycle as they neared Lagos.

As subtly and smoothly as possible, they took up their positions.

 

They had been stationed for maybe fifteen minutes when Scott figured they had been quiet for long enough.

“So they get to sit in the shade and drink coffee, and we have to stand up on a building in the sun?”

“I know Scott, there’s no justice in the world. Even the good Captain is hidden in a cushy apartment with AC.”

Sam and Scott grinned at each other from their perch on the roof while Wanda snorted and Steve sighed.

“If it makes you feel any better, it’s not the best coffee I’ve ever had,” Natasha said faux-kindly. “The scones, though…”

“Don’t get distracted now, guys. Like I said, we’ll make this an opportunity for training. All right, what do you see?” Steve prompted.

“Standard beat cops. Small station. Quiet street. It's a good target.”

“Not if you’re doing a mission non-violently in the daytime,” Scott disagreed. When Sam shot him a look, he backtracked. “Which is irrelevant here because Rumlow will almost certainly have many people backing him up and many guns.”

When Sam kept giving him the look, Steve threw his hands up. “It’s hard to break the habit of casing a place according to my abilities!”

Steve wisely chose to ignore the outburst. “There's an ATM on the south corner, which means?”

“Cameras,” Wanda answered dutifully.

“Both of the cross streets are one-way, so his escape routes are compromised,” Scott added thoughtfully.

“Means our guy doesn't care about being seen.”

“I really don’t think a guy who purposefully releases his edgy villain name to the newspapers and television channels is avoiding attention,” Scott observed.

Steve almost laughed, but schooled his face. “Thank you Scott, but it also means he isn't afraid to make a mess on the way out.”

Scott shook his head. “What happened to subtlety?”

“Yes, driving a car into a pool when robbing a place is totally subtle,” Natasha agreed.

“Hey, don't use my past mistakes against me like that!”

Steve cleared his throat meaningfully, and the group obligingly went quiet. “You see that Range Rover halfway up the block?

“Yeah, the red one? It's cute,” Wanda commented drolly.

"It's also bulletproof, which means private security... which means more guns, which means more headaches for somebody. Probably us,” Natasha said sardonically.

“You guys know I can move things with my mind, right?”

“I may not move things with my mind, but you can’t shoot what you can’t see,” Scott added.

“Looking over your shoulder needs to become second nature,” Natasha continued, unperturbed. “Even for someone who isn’t easily seen.”

“Anybody ever tell you you're a little paranoid?” Sam teased.

“Not to my face. Why? Did you hear something?”

“Eyes on target, folks. This is the best lead we've had on Rumlow in six months. I don't want to lose him,” Steve said firmly. All the times in the past they got there late, if they made it at all.

Sam scoffed. “If he sees us coming, that won't be a problem. He kind of hates us.”

Scott sighed. “I really hope it won't always be so personal with these villains.”

Sam patted Scott commiseratingly on the shoulder before Steve spoke up again.

“Sam... see that garbage truck? Tag it.”

Sam complied with the order, and Scott watched the bird fly away with almost a covetous look in his eyes. “You have to look at that bird later.”

“Give me X-ray,” Sam ordered, before smirking at Scott. “I’ll show you my tech if you show me yours.”

Before Scott could protest that he really shouldn't, Sam got his results back from the scan and frowned.

“That truck's loaded for max weight. And the driver's armed.”

There was a beat as their leaders processed the info. “It's a battering ram,” Natasha realized.

“Go now.” As soon as Steve gave the command, Scott was shrinking down and climbing onto Sam’s suit. “You on?”

“Yeah. No, I’m good! I’m good, Sam, let’s go.” Sam took him at his word and leaped off the building.

“What?” Wanda sounded understandably blindsided by the new developments.

“He's not hitting the police.” Steve sounded furious.

The realization that this had been a long con designed to alter the team’s expectations sunk in, and Scott felt his stomach sink. “Then where is he aiming?” Scott asked cautiously, even as he held tight to Sam’s suit as the man flew.

The truck crashing through the barricade at the Institute of Infectious Diseases answered his question quickly enough. 

Sam swept by to pick Steve up, and the three made their way to the institute.

Scott released his hold at the same time Sam released Steve to dive-bomb the assailants.

“I make seven hostiles,” Steve snapped.

“I make five,” Sam said seriously, after a brief bout of gunfire.

“Four,” Scott barked out as he dropped one of the gunmen.

Wanda dropped down a moment later, quickly deflecting bullets and immobilizing another opponent. “Sam.”

The man in question obligingly flew down to kick the man in the face. “Three,” Sam said coolly.

Scott briefly considered just how epic that entire exchange was before setting off to take more hostiles down. “I’ve got your back, Wanda. Go for the others, Sam!”

“Rumlow's on the third floor,” Sam reported.

“Wanda, just like we practiced.”

“What about the gas?”

“Get it out.”

“It won’t hurt you, Steve?” Scott asked, even as he flipped a man while tiny.

“We’ll find out.”

Scott’s perspective of the fight was mostly a blur of badassery after that, as he and Sam set about covering Wanda while she threw Steve into the building and started funneling the gas out. Sam had just beaten two combatants with a missile while Scott threw one into a truck when Steve updated the team on the situation.

“Rumlow has a biological weapon,” Steve stated sharply.

“I’m on it,” Natasha responded.

“How do you know he got a biological agent already? I guess it wouldn't be hard to find something in a disease institute,” Scott mused out loud.

“I came across a case labeled ‘Danger’ with a vial missing from is,” Steve explained.

Scott darted to where Wanda was still standing. “Can you throw me like you did Steve?” When Wanda nodded, Scott pointed roughly to where Natasha was now engaged with hostiles. “At Natasha, please.” Wanda assessed the area briefly, before shifting to angle herself in the right direction. “Brace yourself.”

He bounced on the balls of his feet before feeling himself being picked up. Scott doubted he’d get used to the feeling of being lifted and flung anytime soon. The air travel got him to Natasha quickly though, that’s for sure.

“I’m still not over it, who just puts a vial in a case with a big sign declaring it’s dangerous?! Shouldn’t it be locked up so no one without the appropriate codes can access it?” Scott yelled, even as he ran to where goons were converging around Natasha.

“You can ask them that later,” Sam answered sardonically.

Natasha seemed to have most of the group under control, so Scott looked around, missing where Crossbones was approaching Natasha but noticing the two guys just sitting inside the giant truck. He figured he’d punish them for their inactivity, climbing up the side to drop through the top, quickly engaging the enemies within. He had just unlocked the doors from the inside when he was surprised by both a grenade and Natasha tumbling in through the hole in the ceiling. The teammates stared at each other for the briefest of moments before both leaping out.

The two managed not to get roasted by the explosion, and dragged themselves up. “You okay?” Scott asked Natasha, who nodded sharply before rushing back to her bike. Scott flinched when he heard more explosions and turned to see Crossbones firing grenades at the building and what was probably Steve.

He made it to the building right when Steve crashed through a window, hitting both a wall and the ground painfully hard.

Steve panted out “Sam, he’s in an AFV driving north,” as Scott grabbed the shield from the ground and ran to their leader.

“I’m with you, Captain. You okay?”

Steve took a deep breath before heaving himself up. “I’m good. Shrink and grab on, let’s go.”

It wasn’t quite telekinetic travel, but Scott had to admit super-soldier speed was a close second in terms of convenient travel. They reached the marketplace where the criminals had fled faster than you could say “Let’s get to that marketplace to catch the bad guys.”

Steve had just informed everyone that it was a “shell game now,” when Scott saw a bomb stick to the shield from his place on Steve’s shoulder. Scott automatically went to clap after Steve flung the shield instinctively into the air, saving the crowd, so he was knocked from his perch on the man’s shoulder when Steve was sucker-punched in the back. Scott rolled when he hit the ground, luckily remembering his training in that regard, and recovered, before sprinting to attack the asshat going after Captain America. Scott had climbed up and was about to try to take down the asshole when he noticed just how easy it would be to fuck up the mechanical arm additions to Rumlow’s suit.

Scott had been investigating the gadgets in earnest while the two were fighting, planning on breaking things to make Rumlow's arms immobile, when he found the bomb. Not just any bomb, a seriously powerful chemical bomb with an electric trigger that would have a kick effective enough to at least maim a supersoldier. Scott stared at the device, holding tight as his ride continued to fight, deciding how best to approach this.

When Sam announced that the two guys he took down didn’t have the biological weapon Scott recalled he could address his team. “Um, guys?”

“What Scott?” Sam asked sharply.

Scott had been distracted from his train of thought though, instead calling for any local ants to come to his aid and climbing around with minimal difficulty despite the suit still being in motion.

He heard Natasha confirm securing the vial and Sam saying something about Redwing, before they both turned their attention back to Scott. “Seriously, are you okay Scott?”

“I’m fine now, I figured out it’s an electric trigger and not time based, I can disarm it,” he responded distractedly.

There was quiet on the line before everyone, (except Steve who was understandably trying to avoid getting his face pounded in,) said as one, “What?”

“I may have found a bomb, but I don’t think it’s a problem,” Scott explained, keeping his voice measured so as not to stress out the rest of the group.

“What do you mean you _think_ it’s not a problem?” Sam called into the comm.

Steve cut in before Scott could respond. “Wanda go regroup with Scott, I don’t need the backup.” Scott could’ve sworn he felt Rumlow’s angry snarl when he heard Steve say that, and braced himself for the fight to intensify.

“Captain, don’t talk in front of him anymore, I don’t want him to know we know about the bomb.”

“A bomb?!” Sam asked, understandably concerned.

“Wait, where are you, Scott? The comm locator says you’re with Steve,” Wanda asked, bafflement coloring her voice.

Scott winced as he was squished a bit in the mech. “Kind of? I’m in Crossbones’s suit, who is with Steve.”

There was another one of those weighted pauses. “The bomb is in his suit?” Natasha spoke up, a bit out of breath, probably still running.

“Sure is,” Scott answered inattentively, before he fist pumped and made to high five the ant who had arrived to help him in the suit. _Count on ants to be ready to help all over the world. I don't even have to know the local dialect!_ “I just disarmed the bomb, guys. It won’t go off if triggered now.

Sam’s exclaimed “Are you sure?” overlapped a bit with Natasha’s statement. “I recovered the vial, I can come help others now.”

Scott was so busy basking in how nice this whole team thing was working out that he didn’t quite think how his next statement would sound out loud. “No, I’m pretty sure it’s disabled.” There was another weighted pause and Scott quickly amended his statement. “Definitely sure.”

Scott had been distracted by his work on the bomb, but he now realized that Crossbones and Steve had stopped their fight and were talking. It wasn’t until he heard Steve’s voice go all weird and dangerous that Scott paused to consider why the name “Bucky” was so familiar.

When Scott heard “you’re coming with me,” he decided that that phrase was probably Rumlow's planned line before he set off the explosive. Steve and Rumlow were both still, the former because his villainous opponent had acted dramatic and clicked something, and the latter because what he pulled out didn’t work. Scott grinned, tore out another couple of cords he had noticed, and avoided the metal supports as the structure locked in place.

Scott took Rumlow’s roar of fury to be his next cue and climbed back out of the contraption to grow in size. “See, I told you it wouldn’t go off!”

Rumlow snapped his head back to where Scott had appeared and gaped. Scott flinched when he saw Rumlow up close, then tried to make it seem like he hadn’t. The mask was good for hiding reactions like that, at least.

Steve nodded at Scott. “Well done. Did you disable the arm mechanisms as well?”

“Something like that. It’ll make it a lot harder for him to move now.”

Crossbones bucked against Steve’s hold, who adjusted his grip to better immobilize the criminal. “I’ll go ahead and keep a hold on him, just to be safe,” Steve commented dryly and Scott nodded. “Probably for the best.”

Just then, Wanda caught up to them, promptly adding her powers to holding Crossbones down. “I have him Captain, you can let go. You guys all okay?”

The three assured each other they were unharmed, and Sam arrived, with Natasha in tow, soon after Wanda had.

Natasha’s first question was directed at Scott. “The explosive device?”

Scott shrugged. “I can’t really get it off of him altogether while he’s wearing that gear. It’s a part of his suit. But it’s good and disarmed, you’d have to dismantle the devices completely in order to fix it to work again, or you’d have to have my tech to reach what I messed up.”

Crossbones had been spitting rage at Steve and Wanda, and then at Sam when Sam came up and joined the duo hovering threateningly over him, but broke off and stared at Scott after hearing mention of “his tech.”

“Oh, I know you after all. We were told you might show up one day, but I honestly didn’t expect Pym to let you work with the Avengers.” He laughed, the noise like broken glass. “You have a little daughter, right?”

Scott froze in place, world narrowing in focus until all Scott saw was red. He would _kill_ this man before he got a _single step towards his family-_

But before Scott could do anything he’d regret, (or maybe something he wouldn’t regret as much as he should) Sam casually punched Rumlow, knocking him out. He grinned, shark like, at Scott. “I think my fist slipped.”

Steve matched the predatory smile. “Better you than me.”

Wanda snorted amusedly, but with a cold rage in her eyes, seemingly still holding Rumlow firm, and maybe squeezing him _much_ tighter than necessary.

Natasha cracked her knuckles. “I can't say how I know this, but my hand will probably slip later if he wakes up again."

The group had all leaned towards him to some degree, and Scott felt something in him calm when he realized this new team he had joined was already there for him, wordlessly promising to help him protect his family. That gave him the strength he needed to step away from their prisoner.

But even with their enemies out cold, there was still work to be done.

“Friday, did you contact Rhodey, Vision or Tony? We’ll need orders to have Rumlow extradited to America soil. I have some questions for him. Also, check the databases available to you on these men who were aiding him. Are they all Hydra believers?” Steve took back control of the situation.

“I doubt it. I think some are mercenaries,” Natasha cut in.

“Several men are locals to the area and don’t have terrorist ties, though they have extensive criminal backgrounds and warrants for their arrest. Local police is on the way to pick them up. Most of the others have at least preliminary entries in our known Hydra member database,” Friday agreed.

“And the rest of our team?” Steve continued.

“Have been informed of what happened. Mr. Stark is working on a press release and requested to speak to you, Captain, and I am working on reaching Colonel Rhodes now. Vision inquired if he would be needed.”

Steve pondered that. “No, tell him to keep holding the fort. Better safe than sorry. I’ll call Tony soon.”

Steve continued talking to Friday while the others set about regrouping.

“How’d Friday get all that information so soon?” Scott asked Sam wearily, still shaken from Rumlow’s obvious threat but trying to distract himself. “Can we always talk to her in the comms?”

“My suit’s goggles has tech installed that allows Friday to analyze what I see and do things like identify assailants,” Sam explained. “And she has her own communication line to access us, you just need to address her. Right, Friday?”

“Correct, Sam. Good job today, Scott.”

Scott tried to conjure a smile. “Thanks, Friday.”

By now, the natives were gathering in earnest, emboldened by the lack of action in the last few minutes and obviously at least a bit familiar with who the Avengers were. Steve went to meet the cops now massing as well, probably to set up a perimeter and to point them to the assailants, while Wanda stayed with Crossbones, and Sam and Scott waited nearby. Natasha had disappeared, probably to gather the attackers she had downed earlier.

Once the situation was explained to them, the cops started dispersing, with a few remaining for crowd control. Natasha reappeared around that time with several men slung over her shoulders. She dropped her load at the feet of the startled police before going to meet the media and reporters now arriving to the scene.

Steve observed this while he walked back to Sam and Scott and spoke into his comm. “Status update, Friday?”

“Colonel Rhodes will arrive as soon as possible with paperwork to transfer Crossbones into Avengers custody,” Friday dutifully informed them.

“Then I’ll call Tony.” Steve turned to the rest of the team still present, and noticed, despite how he tried to hide it, that Scott’s hands were shaking slightly. “Scott, you’re done for now. Sam, go join the police at the institute and assist as necessary,” Steve ordered, voice brooking no argument, before walking away to call Tony and Rhodey.

Scott startled, obviously at a loss for what he should do now when a voice from next to him spoke up. “Why don’t you call Cassie? The comms work long distance.” Scott turned to look at Sam, who was smiling warmly and sympathetically. “I understand that post-battle edginess, but Wanda has the criminals under control, Natasha is one of the best of us at media control at this point, and Steve will join her soon enough.”

“Are you sure? I can help-“ Scott began, not willing to admit how something in him wanted to cry in relief at the offer.

“Give your daughter a call,” Sam interrupted him, though not unkindly, and clapped him on the shoulder, inclining his head to indicate a quieter area for him to wait. He smiled and went to fly off when Scott nodded tentatively.

Scott ducked away from the crowds, hiding behind one of the busted stalls, his knees almost giving out in relief when Maggie picked up her phone. “Hi Scott, this is odd timing, I just picked up Cassie from school. They had a half day today. Are you okay?”

He exhaled, and let himself slide down to the ground. “I’m much better now. Can I talk to Cassie?”

“Sure...” Maggie could obviously tell something was up, but she mercifully chose not to ask more questions. He was incredibly grateful for that in this moment, and the relief increased tenfold when he heard “Honey, it’s your father,” in the background.  

“Daddy! Hi!” Cassie’s usual bright cheer warmed Scott to the core.

“Hi Peanut,” Scott breathed, exhausted. “How was school?”

“It was fun! I got to share my coloring with the class, and I got a gold star. Mary was super mad.”

Scott frowned, alert to the name of Cassie’s elementary school nemesis. “Is that girl still giving you trouble?” Though Cassie, nor Maggie, thankfully, would never tell him this, Scott suspected some of the kids listened a bit too closely to what their parents said about him and teased Cassie in return.

“She’s nothing. All jealous people like to come up with excuses to be mad.”

Scott grinned at the version of an expression Maggie liked to use coming from his daughter. “I see.”

“But what are you doing?”

“I just finished my first mission with the Avengers,” Scott said quietly, watching as Wanda moved the prisoners onto a truck provided by the police. Meanwhile, some young people from the building right near where Rumlow was captured had come down with water bottles, and seemed to be chatting with Natasha. _Must have seen the fight from their window._

“That’s so cool, Daddy! Did you save the day again?”

Scott felt himself smile as Steve tousled Wanda’s hair affectionately and the group milled around, waiting for Rhodey to help facilitate cleanup. “I think so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long note incoming:  
> So we’ve entered the Civil War section of the fic… How exciting! I told you guys I’d update sooner this time! I hope the action was clear enough for you. I rewatched the scene on Netflix several times to try to weave Scott in without having to change every line of dialogue that happens between the other members. Thank God for online movie script archives.  
> There’s a five hour difference between New York and Lagos, so assume it’s a bit after 12 in New York when Scott calls Cassie. Also, disappointingly, the Institute for Infectious Diseases doesn’t exist in Lagos, so I was unable to find the area the battle took place on google maps for better context. Sorry if anything is unclear in that regard.  
> A few notes about where this story is going: it is definitely a civil-war fix-it fic at its core, but it is also going to be an outsider’s perspective on the Avengers, their dynamics, and the relationships in the group. To truly prevent the civil war rift, which has been delayed for now, Scott is going to have to help put Tony and Steve together. I’m going to try to juggle some fluffier storylines and romantic subplots, while also including a version of the events in the movie, so… wish me luck! If you recognize dialogue or snippets of scenes, I’m including that stuff on purpose. I’ll be rearranging the order of some things and changing when some conversations occur.
> 
> My beta reader, dontcallmeking, suggested I start adding lists of little head-canons to the bottom of my updates instead of taking ages trying to weave every single one of my head-canons into the chapters themselves. If you like these little lists and ramblings, let me know! If you don’t like them, you can always skip them. Either way, don’t worry, I’ll still add plenty of stuff to the chapters themselves as well.
> 
> For breakfast, I imagine everyone fends for themselves whenever they wake up, unless there had been a late night the day before. As in a REALLY late night, where they drink till 4 am or where a bunch of them couldn’t sleep. After those nights, Steve cooks because he doesn’t sleep much anyways, and doesn’t get drunk. His blueberry pancakes are good for the soul.  
> If there was a tough battle the day before, they’d go to a diner the next morning, or whenever the battle was done. There’s this one diner I’ve been to in New York that makes massive sandwiches fit for a supersoldier, and I bet they’d go to a similar place. The owners and waitresses are either so used to them coming by or so generally done with their jobs that they don’t make a fuss or care that they have the Avengers in their diner.  
> Vision doesn’t eat, but he still shows up for all the meals, even if there’s only one or two people. Maybe its loneliness, or he feels like he should, but no one questions it. Besides, he’s good company and knows when to give people space.  
> The Chinese food restaurant the group almost always orders from has an ad that says they regularly deliver to the Avengers, but no one believes them because at least 5 other restaurants claim the same thing. This restaurant has a specific delivery boy for delivering the orders to the Avengers, and as such, has seen more of the Avengers compound then most people in the government.
> 
> I think that’s it for now. Thanks for all the reviews, bookmarks, and kudos!!!


	6. Introductions and Baggage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott really doesn't always intend to eavesdrop, sometimes it just... Happens!  
> But hey, the Avengers throw him a party! Which is pretty cool.

After his therapeutic talk with his daughter, Scott was able to find the strength to stagger to his feet and make his way to where, by now, all the local mercenaries had been loaded into police cars. Wanda and Sam had disappeared at some point with the hydra operatives, while Natasha was on Rumlow duty.

Turns out the young people who had struck up conversation with Natasha while she stood watch over the prisoners were Wakandans doing service work in the region. Lovely group of people, all of them, several of them quite interested in computers and programming. Scott had a delightful time talking about computer science with them while they waited for Rhodey to fly in.  Turns out Wakandans had several programming languages completely unique to their country, but learned the most common languages internationally during their schooling as well.

The volunteers eventually moved on, generously distracting Scott for a good hour and a half, though after, he was unable to deceive his body into ignoring that he was wiped out, repeatedly zoning out completely. To prevent himself from falling asleep, or something equally mortifying, Scott went to hunt down Steve or Natasha for another task.

Steve was negotiating with someone Natasha informed him when he asked represented the local government, so Natasha had him help clean up with the police for a little while. He had just finished fixing his third set of electrical lines that were damaged by the fray, with few to no electrical shocks delivered to his person, despite his exhaustion, when Friday politely informed Scott that James Rhodes was close and would be landing near where Natasha and Sam were currently supervising Wanda suppressing prisoners.

He shimmied down the pole and strode over to his teammates, eager to meet another iconic hero.

James Rhodes touched down in Lagos right as Wanda had lifted the last trussed up prisoner into the local precinct’s final truck, going right away to Steve, who had paused his conversation and gestured Rhodes over. Scott took the time to covetously admire the War Machine suit from a distance.

Sam and Natasha just watched quietly, until Scott leaned in to ask a question. “So we just wait?”

“Yeah, Rhodey hands them the paperwork from the US government that politely asks the Nigerian government to excuse all the damages we helped cause, after Steve explained why we came in guns blazing to their country in the first place,” Sam replied. “Sometimes NATO steps in.”

“We’re controlled by the government?” Scott probably should have asked that ages ago, or have been more clearly told that, because he was definitely making a break for it if the man was about to start calling his shots.

Natasha and Sam shared a significant look, before she explained. “Not exactly. After SHIELD fell, there was a lot of confusion on what to do, because there was a significant separation in authority between the US and SHIELD, especially in regards to the Avengers. Currently, we are a autonomous branch of the State Department, though the Department of Defense is also involved in handling our affairs. They just don’t get to tell us what to do.”

Scott blinked, genuinely stunned speechless. “How in the world did you guys manage that?”

Natasha’s mouth quirked into something wry and fond. “Nick Fury.”

Before Scott could press that further, because he had heard about Nick Fury while in prison, after SHIELD collapsed, and was deeply curious about the man so present in all of his hacking endeavors, Rhodes had come over with Steve, local governance seemingly mollified for now.

“Is the mayor going to let us go?”

“Well, he has the phone numbers of some significant people in the American government to cheer him up,  and his own government to deal with,” Rhodes replied.

“We are cleared to leave, though it’s been requested I share the account of what happened later,” Steve finished.

“And the pirate?” When they all turned to stare at him as one, Scott realized with growing horror that he forgot that that was a joking nickname for the international terrorist. “I mean, what’s going to happen to, um, what was his name again, um, Rumlaw?”

“Don’t think less of him for this, blame that friend of yours who got to him first.” Sam, without even attempting to hide his delight, addressed Rhodes.

“Sam, you were the one that explained the mission nickname,” Steve cut in amusedly.

Rhodey just laughed before he extended a hand out to Scott. “Can’t say this is my ideal setting for our first meeting, but I mean it when I tell you it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Oh man, the pleasure is me! Mine. The pleasure is mine. Sorry, it’s been a long day.”

Rhodey cracked a grin reminiscent of the smile Tony had during their first encounter, reminding Scott that the man in front of him was the billionaire’s closest and oldest friend, if newspapers and the Avengers were to be trusted. He briefly wondered who had the expression first, but refocused on the veteran to listen to his instructions.

“The name is James Rhodes, but you can call me call me Rhodey.”

“Given up on introducing yourself as James?” Natasha commented.

“They always inevitably end up calling me Rhodey after exposure to Tony, so I’m trying this thing where I make it look like  it was always my idea,” Rhodey’s voice was drier than the Sahara, but his eyes betrayed his amusement.

“I’m Scott, and you can call me Scott.”

Rhodey nodded faux-solemnly. “I’ll try to remember.”

“Tony’s nicknames tend to stick, don't they?” Natasha drawled, winking at Scott and causing him to wince with embarrassment once more.

Steve just chuckled and started to usher his team to the Quinjet. “Why don’t you join us on the plane ride back, Rhodey?”

“Don’t mind if I do. I can pretend not to be able to take any calls and hear about how Scott conquered my obstacle course all at once.”

 

\------

 

The group spent some time teasing Rhodey about not being around enough, before they all gushed about Scott’s performance the other day. Despite Rhodey’s joking initially, he did have to take a number of calls and work on stuff on a fold out tablet of some sort. The team almost seemed relieved though, and not only because Rhodey was putting out their fires.

While the pressing stress of their first flight had long gone away with a successful mission, Scott was way too tired to freak out as much as he really should about his being in the Quinjet. As it was, he was curled up on one of the flight benches, stripped down to his clothing underneath his Ant-Man gear and with his head tilted to rest against the cool metal of the plane. He quietly marveled at how quiet and smooth all the machinery was for a plane with such insane flight capabilities, before addressing the rest of his team.

“So what do we do now?”

After a beat, Steve replied. “We rest before a debrief. We’ll probably order food for dinner.”

“And tomorrow, we party,” Sam finished.

A pleasant flight later, and Scott was peeling himself off the bench to trudge out the jet back into the Avengers compound.

They all filed into the building, Vision waiting at the door. (Scott privately speculated that Vision hovering slightly above the ground was how he showed nerves.) He nodded at all the Avengers trailing in, obviously listening as they filled him in on what happened, but he waited to follow until Wanda had come up beside him and they could walk in step.

“The American military will be transporting Crossbones, then?” Vision questioned.

“Either them, Nigeria, or the UN. They’ll argue about jurisdiction,” Steve explained.

“I see.”

“Hey Friday, got some stuff to cover with you to save and also to send to Tony,” Steve said to the ceiling.

“Of course, Steve. Also, Tony is in the kitchen and ready to chat with all of you, but says you can all change and shower first, according to your preference.”

“What did he actually say?” Sam quickly cut in before Steve could respond.

Friday just went quiet and played a recording. “Perfect, I love talking about breaking international laws with politicians who hate me and want me to fix it when I didn't even get to be part of the fight. And then Steve will want to force them through a debrief, though I guess they'll be sweaty and battle worn, huh? Friday, they should go ahead and wash and relax, tell them that I don’t want a bunch of gremlin law-breakers stinking up my kitchen when I spent all day on the phone with the Nigerian president. Steve will accept a dinner debrief. Not like bureaucracy thrives on speed anyways.”

There was a collective chuckle of amusement before they went to do just what was so politely suggested. Scott followed Sam to their floor, but noticed Steve and Rhodey heading to the kitchen as he left.

A couple hours later, and the group reassembled in the kitchen, following the scent of warm curry.

Tony was perched on a counter with the elaborate coffee machine Scott fell in love with his first day in the compound, while Rhodey leaned on the counters next to him. “Indian food okay? I asked Friday and she said you all just finished a bunch of Chinese leftovers.”

Sam walked by Scott to try to mess up Tony’s hair, while Natasha jabbed him in the side to try to take his sunglasses. “What the- stop- NO, you are not allowed to team up against me, I’m trying to _stop_ drinking. Do not- did you just try to steal my wallet, I swear to GOD, Tasha, you corrupt all of your friends and you all already try to bankrupt me weekly. Rhodey, save me!”

Natasha and Sam turned to see if the Colonel would interfere, but he simply looked at the food thoughtfully. “I get first pick at the food?” Natasha and Sam’s cheerful agreement could hardly be heard over Tony’s scandalized spluttering, and Rhodey simply shrugged, giving permission. “It’s rude to wear sunglasses indoors, anyways. Teach him a lesson.”

“Rhodey, I can buy you more curry, I can buy you a restaurant, hell, I can buy the _country of India_ , dammit-” Tony tried to duck away, eventually hiding behind Steve.

Wanda slunk to the space now vacated with the billionaire’s absence, gracefully using her powers to start the machine while she watched the conflict ensue.

Steve was failing to hide his grin in his laughable attempts to regain control of the situation, while Sam and Natasha cornered Tony behind the fearless leader. Steve raised placating hands when the two pushed closer, and Tony peered over Steve’s shoulder, brandishing a piece of tech Scott could only assume was a phone.

“Yeah, get stopped, Pain and Panic! Fight em off, Hercules!”

Scott blinked, mentally connecting the billionaire’s words to a favorite movie of his daughter, and was not disappointed when Vision was also confused. “Sam and Natasha are neither particularly nervous or pained.”

Sam and Natasha feigned hurt. “Did you hear that, Cap?”

“Of all the characters to compare us to,” Sam said mournfully.

“Can’t say I’m offended by being called Hercules though. Gotta protect the vulnerable,” Steve mused.

Tony made an affronted noise. “Listen Cap, I am not some damsel in distress.”

Steve shrugged. “Okay.” Then stepped aside to let the grinning teammates through.

Tony squawked at the loss of his protective hero and tried to flee behind the table.

“Oh, we are making a reference to the movie, I understand now,” Vision said in an aside to Wanda and Scott.

“More like _Jerk_ ules, right Stark?” Wanda snarked behind her mug.

Tony brandished a finger in her direction while still mid-retreat. “Exactly, you behemoth, you are not representing the Greek brand correctly, set me _down Wilson-”_

“I think Sam is actually Pegasus in this metaphor, since Steve is Hercules and Tony is Meg,” Scott corrected automatically, before freeing when Natasha and Sam halt in their terrorizing of Tony to focus on Scott, amusement obvious on their faces.

“He already gets it,” Rhodey laughed as Natasha allowed Tony to escape.

“I will not forget the betrayal of all those who stood by,” Tony blustered further, extricating himself and retreating to his counter perch. “And after I bring you food!”

“Hey, aren't we supposed to be lawbreakers anyways?” Sam said.

"Its like you don't like us 'stinking up your precious kitchen,' " Steve said solemnly.

Tony grumbled as he hid behind his phone, but as a consequence of having a futuristic hologram contraption, Scott could see his small, but genuine, smile and knew there was no actual offense. He was then promptly mortified when his stomach growled so loudly the team broke into laughter and started taking their places around the table to start serving food.

Tony nudged him and as he maneuvered around and winked. “About time they ate, good job.”

The voice in his head that sounds like Maggie suggested the gratitude may not have just been for his diversion, but the day as a whole.

\----

Day six in the Avengers compound, and Scott was sporting seven new bruises, a pulled calf muscle, a migraine, and had serious bags under his eyes. (When he complained of this to Sam, Sam just told him to be glad nothing was broken.) He had also helped apprehend an international terrorist when the Halloween reject was attempting to steal a potent biological weapon, and then stayed in Lagos for the next five hours as local and international police converged on the scene of the battle. The whole affair probably counted as his Avengers debut. The evening had been much slower in comparison, as the group exhaustively debriefed after dinner, before Tony explained the international response during dessert. After the ice cream ran out, Steve dismissed them, and everyone either lay out in the living room, or returned to their rooms. Wanda and VIsion started doing the dishes, while Steve and Tony pulled Scott aside. They explained that his official announcement of membership in the Avengers has been understandably moved to the much nearer future, and that he should prepare for scrutiny.

When Scott started getting nervous though, Tony jumped in to assure him.

“Don’t even worry, I made a robot, Wanda helped the robot, and Natasha is ex-Russian special ops. You won’t be that hard to win the public over with.”

“Hank Pym already did some clever work to hide your past with him,” Steve explained further.

They assured him confidently, before also reminding him of the extensive safeguards for his family. (Tony even gave him permanent access to the jets to visit his daughter whenever he wanted.

After an exhausting day, Scott returned to his room, excited to sleep.

He found he couldn't for a long time.

\----

In the present, he dozed for a long while after his customary call to Cassie, made much longer by his conversing with Maggie _and_ Cassie about his first mission out, and only dragged himself awake when Luis had called for the fourth time. Kurt and Dave preferred to leave an absurd number of texts. Scott actually wasn’t sure if he had Kurt and Dave correctly labelled in his phone, because they texted on each other's phone so frequently. Just when he was positive the person texting him was Dave, they would make some reference to Russia. After an extended and super excitable talk with the three of them on speakerphone, the three concluding Scott was incredibly cool, even more than when he was just a master burglar, Scott hung up with a smile on his face.

He started to respond to a message from Hope and Hank. After a snarky couple of compliments on his ability to attract attention, Hope suggested they get coffee the next day as she would be in New York for some meetings. Hank's messages were predictably critical. (Scott privately hoped he was right in seeing some mixed approval of his performance mixed with the commentary.)

\----

Around one, Scott wandered into the kitchen where Wanda was reading and Vision was watching the TV through the door to the living room, volume playing low.

His attention shifted when Scott ambled in, hand lifted in greeting. “Good morning, Scott.”

Wanda just grunted sleepily. (Scott wasn’t offended, Maggie had always hated mornings too, so he knew the type.)

Scott went to grab his cereal when he noticed the pots and pans currently dominating the counter space. “What’s all this?”

Wanda deigned to lift her head at the query. “First stage of preparing dinner. Everything is cooking.”

He gaped. “First stage?”

She hummed affirmatively before returning to her book.

“Do you want some help? With… What exactly are you making?”

“We are having Totott Kaposta,” Vision explained.

“Töltött káposzta,” Wanda corrected without looking up.

“Töltött káposzta,” Vision echoed determinedly. “And… Sóskaleves?”

“Very good, Vis,” Wanda praised. “And no. I appreciate it Scott, but I can’t have the new member cooking for his own welcome party. The food will be ready around 6.”

“Who cooked for yours?" Scott asked as he rummaged around to get his breakfast.

"Steve, mostly. Natasha made a lovely Russian dish she knew was also traditional in Sokovia." Wanda waved a pepper shaker over the pot with her magic as she responded. 

"And what exactly are you making?” Scott pressed as he poured his cereal.

“Cabbage rolls and fermented rye barley soup,” Vision replied.

Scott’s cereal fell off his spoon/

Wanda’s smile turned wicked. “I can’t wait for you to try it, especially since it will take me _hours._ You just _have_ to try it. _”_

Scott managed to wring out a smile despite his apprehension, and escaped shortly after, leaving the two to their peaceful canoodling.

He ran into Rhodey and Tony engaged in conversation with a stout man in the hallway.

“Oh, hey Scott, meet a common face for the Avengers,” Tony gestured Scott over.

The man stuck a hand out, shaking Scott’s firmly. “Happy Hogan. Head of security for Stark Industries, and Avengers liaison.”

“Happy here helps out with the Avengers sometimes, but I tend to keep his hands full with my personal messes,” Tony explains.

“Happy to meet you!” Scott said.

Happy sent him a dour look. “If that’s all, boss, I’m going to get back to town to finish up.”

Happy nodded to the group before leaving.

Rhodey snorted at Scott’s dismay when faced with the abrupt departure. "What did I say?"

“He’s heard that one before," Rhodey explained.

“Heard what- oh shoot, I accidentally made a joke about his name, didn't I.” It wasn't a question.

“Don’t worry about Happy, he could use some more humor in his life,” Tony said, gleefully and unrepentantly amused.

\----

  
Scott would have trained some, especially after being reminded of how taxing these missions would be, but he figured he earned a day off, choosing to instead catch up on the world of computer espionage (just for practice!) in his room.  He had just gleefully planted a virus on Mitch McConnell's work email when he was summoned back to the communal space. 

The smell of warm food and the chatter of the team greeted him as he neared, and when he turned the corner to the kitchen, he was greeted by balloons and a telekinetic throw of confetti from a proud Wanda.

Steve, Natasha, Sam, Tony, Rhodey, Vision, and Wanda were all assembled around the table, which was piled high with admittedly delicious looking food. Tony tapped something on his phone, and a hologram declaring, “WELCOME AVENGER SCOTT LANG” was beamed into the air.

“Wow- I- I’m honored guys, really. I don’t even know what to say- I’m just… I’m so  happy that you guys offered the membership to me, and then all this food, and the building and... I think I’m so overwhelmed I’m starting to babble,” Scott said, flushed red. The group just gathered closer to pat Scott on the back, congratulate him, or ruffle his hair, if you’re Sam.

“You’re a full Avenger now,” Natasha said with a genuine smile.

“With all the perks,” Tony added.

"Great food," Rhodey said.

“Lots of late nights and weird trips,” Sam joked.

"Comprehensive training," Vision said earnestly.

“And a team that has your back,” Steve concluded.

It's hard not to be won over by compassion like that. Scott could only remember feeling accepted in his entirety so rapidly a couple of occasions before. (Mostly Luis, and then Kurt and Dave when he met them too.)

The group eventually sat around the table, the meal devolving into a fight for food, though Wanda insisted everyone have the soup first. (“It is tradition- Sam, I see you.)

The soup was incredible, and they still had more left after most of the team got thirds. The stuffed cabbage was somehow both bizarre and super appetizing. The chaos of the meal had slowed down considerably before Scott’s curiosity couldn’t be contained any longer.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, catching the attention of enough Avengers that the rest caught the hint to quiet down quick.

“I'm sorry to ask, but… why do you all seem to trust me so quickly? I cant have made that great of an impression.”

Tony looked over his glasses at Steve. (Scott had been surprised to know Tony Stark needed glasses until he saw Tony using his glasses as a communicator.) “Wanna take this, Cap?”

“Well, Scott, I know we all trust Sam’s judgment, and he didn't mention you to us lightly. Also, both Tony and Nat are very good at researching or reading a person, respectively,” Steve obligingly explained.

Natasha cleared her throat pointedly.

“Okay, Natasha is also very good at researching people.” Steve corrected.

When Tony cleared his own throat pointedly, Rhodey snorted. “Do not expect him to give you the same credit, Tones. Steve is a nice guy, but he ain’t a liar.”

Tony gasped. “That’s it, no more upgrades for you.”

While the two bickered, the rest continued with their explanation to Scott.

“Sam really set a new precedent with resumes for Avengers membership,” Natasha said dryly. “He tossed a file of top secret documents in front of me and Steve, stuffed full with his exploits, while we were hiding from the government in his house.”

Wanda shrugged. “I turned on Ultron.”

“I was Ultron’s intended vessel, but they had an AI take over instead,” Vision explained when Scott turned to him for his own joining up story.

“Basically, we have eyes everywhere and a healthy respect for people who favor death defying acts of heroism as a solution to their problems,” Tony supplied, returned from his argument with Rhodey, which had really only ended after some childish scuffling that left Tony’s hair even more crazed.

“I- I think I'm honored,” Scott stuttered, overwhelmed. “And a little less concerned about my weird past- no offense!”

“None taken,” Vision said warmly, while Wanda just quirked a small smile.

“Hey, you’ll have to bring your daughter to see her Dad’s fancy job,” Sam commented.

“Tell your daughter we'll try to do right by you,” Steve said earnestly.

“She’ll be so smug,” Scott admitted.

“What, she told you to join?” Sam grinned.

“She said the Avengers would help take care of me,” Scott said, before chuckling. “I think I’ll need to get a photo with all of you.”

Tony patted him on the shoulder. “Smart kid, and easily done. What do you all say, pose with Scott for his daughter?”

The crowd grouped together according to Tony’s imperious instructions, shoulder to shoulder with Wanda and Rhodey crouching in front. (“Alright, make this classy, c’mon Wanda, you’re short, that’s a girl. And Rhodey, old man, get in the front. Hey, if you think Tasha should be in front, than you should have beaten her at Clue.”)

They had just gotten assembled, when Steve stopped Tony before he could tell Friday to snap a picture. “Tony? Why haven’t you gotten in this picture yet?”

“Yeah, geezer, get in front of your elderly friend,” Sam said, avoiding Rhodey’s pointed jab with a smirk.

“Fine fine,” Tony grumbled, not quite able to seem put out. “Friday, get a shot of us?” He quickly took a pose kneeling with half-sarcastic peace signs in between Wanda and Rhodey.

“Say… Avengers!” Steve called out, the group echoing him with varying levels of cheerful sarcasm.

Scott beamed, genuinely amazed by his fortune. When he echoed Steve at a near yell, he could tell everyone was amused, but he didn’t feel silly about it. The photo was taken, Friday sent it to his phone, and the group either pestered him for photos of his daughter or wandered off to get another drink.

And well. That was that, apparently.

\---

The party had long since mellowed out, the people who had been drinking pleasantly buzzed or already starting to sober up. Wanda’s food and the various melting pints of ice cream and baked goods had been devoured. Happy had eventually reappeared after some errands, but still ended up retiring early, too tipsy to enjoy himself after foolishly asking for a rematch in the form of a drink off with Natasha. (Scott privately thought that anyone who had already faced Natasha in one way or the other probably shouldn’t try again, and everyone’s ribbing mixed in with their warnings seemed to indicate they felt similarly.) Rhodey, Natasha, Wanda, Vision, Sam and Scott were scattered around the couches for video games, as the group had to stop playing cards after Natasha threatened to stab Tony during Uno. The billionaire wisely fled, and it was decided the group as a whole was too competitive for card and board games. Steve insisted they didn’t get as feisty when playing video games, but Scott was privately doubtful, watching how Sam and Wanda yelled during their match.

“I think I’ll get a drink refill, anyone else need one while I’m up?” When everyone chorused their refusals, Scott stretched luxuriously, getting up from his seat next to Sam on one of the couches, and wandering in the direction of the team kitchen. When he got to the door, he noticed Tony and Steve, heads bent in conversation, at the other side of the kitchen. He wasn’t sure what it was that made him do it, maybe just reflexes, but Scott silently tucked himself out of anyone’s immediate line of sight and listened. He probably should have just walked away if he thought the two wouldn’t want to be disturbed, or made his presence known so he could get his drink, but good judgement and a healthy respect for privacy were not usually the things Scott was accused of. He tuned in just in time to catch the tail end of Steve’s question.

“-where were you today, initially?”

“MIT presentation.”

“Oh, did you get taken away from that? I remember you had been planning for that for a while, right?”

“It’s not a big deal, I had already finished my presentation and had been on my way out when the call came in. And then I was just loitering stateside.”

“Yeah, we wanted to make sure there was someone prepared in case Hydra had another attack planned.”

“I get it, makes sense. You know, maybe I should stick around for a while, until everything gets settled here and the questions around Lagos have died down. Scott is already facing scrutiny and Rumlow will be a nightmare to handle, administratively.” His phrasing and tone were casual when he voiced the suggestion, but even from his place tucked by the counters, Scott could see the tension in the man’s shoulders.

Steve nodded. “It is your compound.”

“It’s the Avengers’ compound,” Tony corrected quickly.

Steve was unmoved. “And you’re an Avenger. You don’t need my permission to stay here or help.”

Tony seemed to close off at that, stiffening slightly, and even the newest member of the team could tell that that wasn’t the right response. "Of course. Actually, I’m sure you guys don’t need me for this.”

Steve wasn’t able to contain his sigh. “Tony, I don't want to tell you what to do-. We appreciate you covering for us in Lagos, and for taking care of the team. No, _I_ appreciate it. We want you here to help.”

Tony’s tone seemed oddly brittle when he responded. “You don’t need to _thank_ me for being there for the team, god. I thought I was an Avenger, of course I’m going to do whatever needs to be done-“

“Tony, I’m just gracious you do so much for us, and… you were the one who wanted to retire, I hate to pull you away from everything else!”

The older man shrugged and made as if to leave, saying “I’m not going to force anyone to -“ before he was stopped short by Steve’s hand on his arm. It wasn’t forceful or a grab, just a cautious touch, but it shut Tony up instantly. Something in Scott hurt at the tension coiled in every fiber of Tony’s body, and he made a note to never surprise Tony with any sort of aggressive motions. Steve had probably learned that the hard way. Tony still looked like he was considering fleeing the entire situation, but Steve spoke before he could.

“You will always be welcome with the Avengers, Tony. No matter what. You are a founding member and gave us a place to be. You gave me a home."

Silence from Tony, but he didn't make a move to leave. 

"I would hate for our field actions to make your life any harder. You’re always saying how busy you are.”

Scott took a moment to consider if he heard bitterness in that last statement, but before he could decide Tony was responding, words sharp. “The Avengers are _always_ first for me.”

Steve kept his hold. “I know, I swear I do. I just- I know I need to act like I know that more often. We-” There was a gusty exhale before Steve continued. “ _I_ want you here.” Even Scott could hear the desperate sincerity in his voice.

Tony was listening quietly, slowly relaxing as he did so.

“I appreciate you, Tony.”

“I want to be here." Tony replied and Steve exhaled.

It was like a dam burst when Tony spoke next. "My work with you guys is not a problem, you know I like to stress out my investors with last minute updates and designs, and I could code in the suit if I wanted to. It’s much more exciting, and when I’m not on active duty, I need all the excitement I can get.” Tony’s flippant babble seemed to be as much a release for Tony, in that he could regain his footing, as it was for Steve, who seemed relieved to have gotten the other to stick around long enough to calm the waters. “And then Pepper will come to yell at me-” Tony stopped awkwardly.

Steve seemed to remember the billionaire’s famous CEO and partner at the same time. “Oh yeah, what about Pepper? Wouldn’t you want to stick around for her?”

“What, Pepper isn’t welcome to stay here too?” Scott could see Tony’s teasing smile from his angle, but he didn’t think Steve could see it quite as clearly. He hastily jumped to clarify.

“Of course she is! It just doesn’t seem like… she likes to be here much,” Steve grappled with his words before he finished somewhat lamely.

Tony’s smile dimmed a bit, and he tapped his fingers on his chest, seemingly unconsciously, before blurting out, “Pepper and I broke up.”

Steve recoiled a bit in surprise. “You did?”

He finally turned back to face Steve fully, so Scott couldn’t see his face anymore, but his voice was a little too relaxed. “We're taking a break. It's nobody's fault.”

“So sorry, Tony. I didn't know.” Steve’s remorse felt real.

“Few years ago, I almost lost her, so I trashed all my suits. Then, we had to muck up Hydra. And then Ultron, my fault. And then, and then, and then.”

Steve waited for a moment, probably expecting more to that, but Tony cut himself off. There was a quiet that settled over them, not uneasy, but somehow heavy with things Scott couldn’t even hope to understand yet. (Or maybe ever.)

“I trust your judgement, Steve.”  (Scott made another note to ask Sam whether it was normal for Tony to call Steve by his first name.)

Steve looked pleasantly surprised by the sudden admission, and the smile that grew on his face reminded Scott of how beautiful the man was (objectively speaking, because Scott was NEVER going to go down that road, no way. Crushing on Captain America was not for him. Far smarter men than him have made that mistake, he was sure). Tony seemed unable to look away.

“Thank you… for letting Scott join us and putting him up. He’s already saved lives today,” Steve said seriously. (The newbie figured the pride he felt when he heard that was definitely understandable and well-founded.)

Tony finally tore his gaze away to shrug before taking a long swallow of whatever was in his cup and looking disappointed when it didn’t make the conversation easier. “It’s no problem. He’s the one who did the work and saved the lives. You don’t need my permission for recruitment either.” Before Steve could protest that or make any comment, Tony continued. “Besides Cap, anyone who gets the ok from you is good in my books.

“Whether it’s trusting Clint after Loki, bringing in Sam… Letting in Wanda…” He shrugged nonchalantly after mentioning Wanda, but Scott had a feeling that Tony didn’t even manage to fool himself with his forced casualness. “Your judgement in people is impeccable.”

There was another bloated pause as Steve took a deep breath before he responded. “Tony, about Wanda and Ultron, and about blame-“

“Let’s not do this, Cap,” Tony pleaded. (No way around it, that’s what Tony was doing.) “There’s nothing to say.”

Steve frowned. “We have to talk about it eventually. I know it’s been rough between us-”

“I don’t think we do, because we already did. Debrief, remember?”

“You seriously can’t expect me to pretend that our debrief covered everything. What about what happened with you, personally? You’re the only person who hasn’t really talked to me about it. Their real feelings, not excuses and apologies. And you bring up fault-”

“We don’t need to hear my opinion.” Tony’s smile was brittle as he slipped out of Steve’s range, dislodging the hand that Scott was only now realizing had been resting on Tony’s shoulder for the whole conversation. “You already know what happened with me, and what to think of me. I built a monster.”

“But I know you had a reason, right? Maybe like on the helicarrier, the stone-“

“I don't have any excuses, and I don’t need any more lectures, though, wow, Cap, did you suddenly start to care? 

Now Steve’s expression closed off. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Tony’s grin wasn’t even near cheerful. “No worries, Cap, I get it. Better asking late than never, gotta do your due diligence, you get my nomination for best Captain. Anyways, thanks, the listening was nice. Enjoy the party.”

“Get what? This isn’t about diligence-” Steve’s frustration was evident and tinged with bafflement. “Are you running away?!”

But it was too late. Tony had already disappeared around the corner. Scott felt like he should be amazed the two hadn’t seen him throughout the exchange, but that same perceptive part of himself that thought it heard bitterness in Steve’s voice seemed to think that tunnel vision wasn’t uncommon when it came to the other with those two, and wondered whether Tony was right to expect a lecture or whether he should have expected an apology. (That voice in his head always sounded vaguely like his ex-wife when she was stressed. _“Pay attention Scott, this is important_.”)

There was the sound of a barely stifled punch, a frustrated noise, and then Steve’s rapid footfalls in the opposite direction Tony went, towards what Scott vaguely remembered Friday saying was one of the ways to the roof. He stared at the doorway for a long moment, trying to remember what he had even come into the kitchen for, before giving up and returning to the living room. He did not have _near_ enough context to handle this mess.

Sam looked away from the screen where Natasha was thoroughly kicking Rhodey’s ass when he heard Scott’s footfalls, and glanced to Scott’s hands before frowning. “You took all that time and didn’t even get your refill?”

“I drank it in the kitchen,” Scott said absently before returning to his seat next to the man. “Anything happen here?”

After another long look, Sam decided he’d let it go for now and returned his gaze to the screen. “Nah, Wanda tried teaching Vision but he lost interest.” Wanda turned at the mention of her name.

“I did my best, but Vision prefers to watch.” The being in question inclined his head in what seemed to be his equivalent of a shrug.

“So Natasha defeated Wanda and is now beating Rhodey,” Sam concluded.

“I can still win this!” Rhodey yelled from his seat in front of the television.

“Can you, though?” Natasha’s bored reply obviously got Rhodes in a tizzy, and they started bickering good-naturedly.

Scott laughed, comfortable in this warm atmosphere, before remembering the weird exchange he witnessed a few minutes earlier.

“Does Tony often call Steve by his first name?” Scott winced internally at how abrupt his question was, and figured he deserved the speculative look Sam was pinning him with again.

Sam opened his mouth, probably to say ‘of course,’ but he paused to consider the question seriously. “Actually, I don’t think so. Tasha, does Tony ever call Steve by his first name?”

The Russian turned away from the screen (where her character had somehow managed to pin Rhodey’s) and tilted her head slightly in thought. “No, almost never. Mostly it’s ‘Cap’.”

“Unless it’s really serious or he’s mad, then it’s ‘Rogers’,” Rhodey joined in, apparently resigned now to his loss. “Why?”

Scott shifted uneasily now that everyone was looking at him curiously. “Just wondering.”

They obviously didn’t quite accept that, so he tried again. “Hey, when you’re the new guy, you try to notice all this stuff.”

The group seemed to take that answer, and resumed their activities, except for Natasha, who stared at Scott until he couldn’t help his discomfited fidgeting, and smirked. (Scott hated not feeling like the most perceptive person in the room. Though he should probably develop a word filter to match his observational abilities.)

When she returned her focus to the screen where Sam was in the process of picking his character out after Rhodey flung his controller moodily away, Scott couldn’t help but wonder what it was like to be interrogated by her.

After an admirable attempt on Sam’s part, Scott was up to play.

He side-eyed Natasha nervously. “Am I playing you first?”

She smirked. “No, but don’t think I’m falling for your innocent eyes this time.”

Rhodey froze while selecting his character. “Oh man, don’t tell me you play these games too.”

Scott shrugged, before quickly selecting a character with the confidence of a veteran.

“Hey, college, am I right?”

"College?" Sam said.

"Or my friends since prison," Scott admitted.

The ensuing tournament ended up devolving like the board games before it, but Scott decided he could blame that on Tony joining the tournament with cheat codes and Steve breaking the controller after Sam won their match.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note:  
> *rises from the dead*  
> Pls take this chapter. I saw Infinity War on the opening Friday, was destroyed emotionally, and returned to this partially out of a need for a coping mechanism.  
> Rewatched it today, am still wrecked, so. I need Scott’s help, so he can help them.  
> Finals are almost upon me, so I finished this in a, probably unwise, hurry so it wouldn’t be lurking in my subconscious during finals. Sorry for the delay, as usual, I wish I was more prompt...  
> Story Notes: Steve and Tony begin having important conversations a bit earlier in this universe. Tony is still shaken by being confronted by Miriam Sharpe, mother of Charlie Spencer, the boy who died in Sokovia, but he likes to stew about stuff before he shares.  
> I like the idea that the cat burglar and resident hacker has to be super observant and aware of his surroundings, and only grew more observant after watching his back in prison. Doesn’t mean he’s good at stopping himself from talking and ruining a moment, or good at seeming suave, but Scott is certainly able to read a person, despite how he can’t read the mood when it comes to interjecting. He’s going to have to get better at interfering. People may comment he seems OOC because he is too skilled at reading between the lines, but I stand by this portrayal, if only for the sake of efficiency of story.  
> The team has tentatively recovered post Ultron, with a new strength. There is certainly a noticeable loss without Thor or Bruce around, and Steve and Sam are still on the hunt for Bucky, but the group is just kinda doing their thing. I personally figure that the Avengers would be allowed to operate under incredibly lax oversight the same way Iron Man was able to, with copious Stark Industries sponsorship, but because they were originally under SHIELD, which was barely controlled by the government, they would have to tolerate a bit of oversight. (Nick would have, of course, accounted for some eventuality as what happened when SHIELD fell.)  
> Sorry I didn’t write more for the party, I had a bunch of banter and distractions everywhere else in the chapter, and considering the fact I have had the conversation between Steve and Tony written for literal months, (my beta (dontcallmeking) claims its been years since I first planned this convo,) I was anxious to get this chapter published.

**Author's Note:**

> You can follow me at my [tumblr](http://basically-incoherent.tumblr.com/) . I'm not super active, but I'll check a few times a week for messages!


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